Sorry I've been such an absent blogger. A lot has happened in the last few weeks and yet at the same time, not much has happened either. Let me explain.
Work: My current visa status only allows me to work up to 6 months with any one employer and so I had to quit both my jobs earlier this month in order to avoid deportation and fines. I didn't really expect much but my two employers gave me such warm and loving good bye parties that it made me feel like maybe I did fit in after all. CRG wrote me a very nice reference letter and gave it to me along with a delicious cake, book I wanted to read on Feng Shui and some very nice bath stuff from Body Works. Not to mention they gave me a very nice speech and told me all the work I've done there on their marketing materials has actually helped them land and retain contracts--one of them being a multi-million dollar deal. Apparently the CEO of this international pharmaceutical company was very impressed and even mentioned he would like to do the same sort of thing for his company! It was a sad day to leave though and they kept telling me that as soon as my visa is approved to please, please call them--they want me back! That sort of praise really lifted me up and made me feel good for a whole week.
My other job at Thomson Reuters was a sweet parting as well. Since my team there was really small (three of us), I invited out almost everyone I knew for a farewell lunch so it wouldn't seem so empty. And it was glorious. We had a beautiful Cambodian/Thai lunch and afterwards they gave me a cake shaped like a dog (laso apso to be exact) and a beautiful card wishing me well. I went around and thanked everyone personally before packing up my desk and leaving my final instructions for the next temp. It was a sad parting because I'd been there off and on for almost a year and had grown really close to my boss, Alysia, in that time. When I felt like I had no friends, seeing her at work reminded me that I do. Even though it wasn't always easy working there, being gone has shown me a little hole is left in it's place.
Housing: Since I was no longer working and was free to scour real estate sites, Jeremy and I decided it was time to start looking again for a new apartment. We abandoned our search a few months back after repeatedly failed attempts to secure a home but it felt like the right time to look again and since I had all this free time, it would make moving easier. So, last weekend we started house hunting. It was a long, long day of walking for hours all over the Inner West. We saw 8 properties and applied for 4 before collapsing on the couch with blistering feet (me).
This week we heard back from one of the agents notifying us we didn't get the property (it was actually the one we really wanted) and so I headed out yesterday to see more. I was waiting for the agent at a complex in Kirribilli (with harbour views!!) when Jeremy called to tell me we were approved for one! In fact, the one we were approved for is about a 3-5 minute walk from our current place! Obviously we accepted and on the 13th, we'll pick up the keys to our new palace! It's not quite a palace but it is a bit bigger with two balconies and a window in the shower which means less mold! Yay! We put in our deposit on Friday and then it's time to start packing! I can't wait to move!
Visas: Nothing has happened. Did I mention before that I was once told I had a case officer sometime back in June? Well, turns out that was a farce which was quite the surprise for me--I had her name, phone number and email address given to me from the immigration department! When I never heard from her after several months, I decided to call up immigration and I've since learned that in the 6 months since I applied for my partner visa, nothing has happened. Absolutely nothing. They gave me the usual spiel about how it takes 6-9 months to process visa applications and that I'll have to wait until 9 months has passed to escalate the issue. The most annoying part though is that I have no direct contact with whom I can talk to. It's a real pain. It's keeping my whole life on hold. I can't get permanent work, I can't go to school, I can't leave the country and I can barely find work at all. But more so, it hurts Jeremy too because it puts an unfair financial burden on him and keeps him from returning to school as well. I wish some consideration was put into the lives of the people applying--especially considering that we've all paid $2,500 to apply for this stupid thing! We're going to stick it out but I'll admit, sometimes I wonder if it was ever worth applying...
Looking for Work: I've had a weird past two weeks of job hunting. First, I interviewed for a manager's position for a Santa photography set in the mall this Christmas. I actually applied for this same position last year and was even offered it--but the offer came the day after I accepted a different job and even signed the contract. This year though, I am definitely taking the job. I got the call Monday with the offer which wasn't unexpected but definitely appreciated. I'm really excited that this is actually a job as a photographer (even if it's just Santa stuff) and that it's a management position in sales which means I could probably break into retail as a second in charge with relative ease after this (a very good segue position). The downside: it doesn't start until the last week in October which means I've still got three weeks on my hands. It's unlikely that I'll get any work in that time because most people want someone for a month or at least someone available for a month's work. But I'm trying to look at it positively: I'll have plenty of time to pack and move all our junk up the road and I'll be able to take advantage of the pre-searing heat known as "Sydney Summer" by galavanting around the city on small adventures.
Before I got the job though, I also got a call from the recruitment agency I work for asking me if I'd like to work for them as a recruiter. Now, I've always been fairly suspicious about their business practices and not so appreciative of their customer service skills, so I was already fairly certain I wouldn't take the job but I went in for an interview anyway. The result? The manager, whom I've spoken on the phone with many times, was exactly as I expected her to be: aggressive, defensive, domineering and a bit pushy. She was everything I've known her to be on the phone just in a power suit. She continued to tell me how hard the job is, that it takes serious drive and dedication, that it'll be long hours (generally 7 am - 7 pm) and fast paced. The hours were my most obvious concern (I do have a life, you know) and so when I asked about the compensation, she refused to tell. She said she would tell me the salary if I was successful as an applicant. Ha! I thanked her for her time and left. No way would I seriously apply for a job with those sort of hours without first knowing the pay! Ridiculous... Not surprisingly, my new recruiter who came two months ago quit on Friday. I remember actually saying in my interview that it sounded like the sort of job with a high turn over rate and she tried to tell me no, that most stay for 3-4 years... Whatever. It was the sort of interview like the one I had from Curves where they weren't seriously considering me but just wanted to sell me a membership!
Adventuring: We don't actually get out too much but we do love trying new restaurants! A couple weekends ago, Owen and Rachel took us to this glorious Lebanese place out in the middle of nowhere (Greenacre) where I seriously had the most amazing food of my life. No joke and no exaggeration. It was that good. Which got me thinking: I need to blog about some of these awesome eateries here because Sydney is an awesome city to eat out in. Seriously, Aussies love food and there is such a large migrant population in Sydney that you can find some really great authentic dishes easily. So that will be up next--along with my super cool birthday weekend adventure!
Family: I haven't asked but I hope no one minds me talking about this on my blog--Jeremy's sister is having a baby! Karen is a couple years older than me and is due in February. We just found two weeks ago that she's having a boy (her preference) and everyone is excited! It's a huge blessing because she lost a baby just a few months before this little miracle came along and we are all so grateful that he's healthy and growing strong. Doug, Karen's fiance, is a tall, tall man--as in 6.5ft--and so far it's looking like this boy's going to be big too! Can't wait to finally be around for a birth! I missed the births of Ally (niece), Mason (nephew), McKenna (niece) and Serenity (niece) because I've been away but hopefully this time I'll be around!
So, as you can see, I haven't exactly been busy but a lot has happened. I'll try to keep everyone updated over the next month because there will definitely be stuff to write about--birthdays, adventures, moving, starting a new job and a few other little surprises. :)
Showing posts with label work. Show all posts
Showing posts with label work. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Friday, September 3, 2010
Back on the Job Hunt
It's that time again!! (You can't tell, but that exclamation is DRIPPING with sarcasm.)
I finished my last day at CRG yesterday. It was sad. I really liked the people I worked with there and they really liked me. I wasn't sure up until yesterday but they gave me a really nice going away party with the world's most delicious chocolate cake, a book and a nice bath set from the Body Shop. And the general manager even made a nice speech about me and how I'd added value to the company and helped them win back some major pharmaceutical company contracts. It was a good way to go.
Why am I going? It's complicated but I'll try to explain. My first visa in Australia was a Working Holiday visa which allowed me to stay for a year and work up to 6 months in any work place (ie. I can work for 6 months at CRG and simultaneously 6 months at Thomson Reuters and then do another 6 months somewhere else if I want to). Just before that visa expired, we submitted an application for a Temporary Partner visa which essentially means I'm become Jeremy's common law wife and he remains my sponsor. However, that visa application is still in processing and yet to be approved and so, in the meantime, I am on a Bridging Visa (type A).
What is that? A Bridging Visa does as it says--holds you over during processing until your next visa comes through. It carries all the work rights of your previous visa which, in my case, is the Working Holiday visa. So, even though I'm not technically on that visa anymore, I'm still restricted as though I were.
So, having been at CRG for 6 months, I had to quit lest I break my visa restrictions (and risk deportation). Same goes for Thomson Reuters though my last day there isn't for a couple more weeks.
Thus, the hunt begins. I've already turned in a few applications and I need to do more, but we'll see what happens. It's hard to find the energy to keep trying when you've had such rotten luck in the past.
I finished my last day at CRG yesterday. It was sad. I really liked the people I worked with there and they really liked me. I wasn't sure up until yesterday but they gave me a really nice going away party with the world's most delicious chocolate cake, a book and a nice bath set from the Body Shop. And the general manager even made a nice speech about me and how I'd added value to the company and helped them win back some major pharmaceutical company contracts. It was a good way to go.
Why am I going? It's complicated but I'll try to explain. My first visa in Australia was a Working Holiday visa which allowed me to stay for a year and work up to 6 months in any work place (ie. I can work for 6 months at CRG and simultaneously 6 months at Thomson Reuters and then do another 6 months somewhere else if I want to). Just before that visa expired, we submitted an application for a Temporary Partner visa which essentially means I'm become Jeremy's common law wife and he remains my sponsor. However, that visa application is still in processing and yet to be approved and so, in the meantime, I am on a Bridging Visa (type A).
What is that? A Bridging Visa does as it says--holds you over during processing until your next visa comes through. It carries all the work rights of your previous visa which, in my case, is the Working Holiday visa. So, even though I'm not technically on that visa anymore, I'm still restricted as though I were.
So, having been at CRG for 6 months, I had to quit lest I break my visa restrictions (and risk deportation). Same goes for Thomson Reuters though my last day there isn't for a couple more weeks.
Thus, the hunt begins. I've already turned in a few applications and I need to do more, but we'll see what happens. It's hard to find the energy to keep trying when you've had such rotten luck in the past.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Transitions?
This blog tends to change format every time my life goes into transition and I'm starting to feel the need to move my life around a bit. That and I realized some of the features of my old template weren't really working for me.
But changing this blog around has once again made me think about it's purpose, I mean really, what am I doing here? Over the last three years, it's gone through a few looks being a place for my adventures in Korea, a place for my photography, a journal of my backpacking trip, a place for me to just sit down and talk (hence the couch on my last template), and now... what?
As I sit here and contemplate the struggles I've had over the last year and my feelings about the options I have for the next year, I find myself honestly ping-ponging between depressed and ambivalent--not excited. What I miss is the adventure, the excitement, the unknown and the surprise of everyday life--of living truly in the moment.
I feel a bit sad that at 25 it feels like my adventures are ending with a 9-5 job and a moldy apartment but I'm not going to give up because the journey isn't over yet. I'm in love with the most wonderful man and together we're carving our way through international waters, living life and loving each other. We have plans and dreams and we're going to get there! And my photography! Things are going well and I've got some great references and amazing pieces to show for my hard work. It might feel like I'm at the end of the road but I'm really still somewhere near the beginning.
So, this blog--The Journey of a 21st Century Nomad--whether it's written from an exotic location or the comfort of my couch (favorite writing location), is about walking that road of life and love and learning as I go. Adventures of a different kind? Perhaps. I hope a bit of the exciting laying with tigers sort of stuff is in there too but primarily, this place is about dealing with life as it comes at you--not looking back, but always moving forward.
But changing this blog around has once again made me think about it's purpose, I mean really, what am I doing here? Over the last three years, it's gone through a few looks being a place for my adventures in Korea, a place for my photography, a journal of my backpacking trip, a place for me to just sit down and talk (hence the couch on my last template), and now... what?
As I sit here and contemplate the struggles I've had over the last year and my feelings about the options I have for the next year, I find myself honestly ping-ponging between depressed and ambivalent--not excited. What I miss is the adventure, the excitement, the unknown and the surprise of everyday life--of living truly in the moment.
I feel a bit sad that at 25 it feels like my adventures are ending with a 9-5 job and a moldy apartment but I'm not going to give up because the journey isn't over yet. I'm in love with the most wonderful man and together we're carving our way through international waters, living life and loving each other. We have plans and dreams and we're going to get there! And my photography! Things are going well and I've got some great references and amazing pieces to show for my hard work. It might feel like I'm at the end of the road but I'm really still somewhere near the beginning.
So, this blog--The Journey of a 21st Century Nomad--whether it's written from an exotic location or the comfort of my couch (favorite writing location), is about walking that road of life and love and learning as I go. Adventures of a different kind? Perhaps. I hope a bit of the exciting laying with tigers sort of stuff is in there too but primarily, this place is about dealing with life as it comes at you--not looking back, but always moving forward.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Time to update my resume.
So, I'll just be honest here, I make $19.25 an hour working as a temp for one of my jobs (Employer A) through the agency. I know it looks like a lot to people back at home where a job paying $10 is like the holy grail right now, but here in Australia, $19.25 is like making minimum wage.
To draw a few comparisons, Employer A pays me $19.25 to audit their account records, liaise with clients, organize their records, edit articles, write content for their website, sell products, code up content for the website, check invoices, file order forms, and keep the manager organized (cause she kind of needs it). Employer B (my other job) pays me $25 an hour to make contact sheets of potential clients, random editing, print things, stuff envelopes and occasionally make something creative for marketing. I do arguably 10x more work for Employer A than Employer B.
Furthermore, I've been working for Employer A a total of six months while Employer B has only had me for three. For Employer A, I actually fill a real vacant position; for Employer B, I really just pick up the odds and ends around the office.
Why the huge pay difference?
Considering that I've been doing SO MUCH work for Employer A and have even got them credited $8,000 because I have such a great eye for detail (at work, I should add--not blogging), I really felt I deserved more money than that. Not to mention, my manager was saying I should be paid more too and was urging me to get the agency to increase my pay (unfortunately it's not her decision or else I'd be hired permanently).
So I called the agency to tell them I want a raise and what I found out kind of made me sick. They said that on Wednesday, they called the director at Employer A who oversees my department and whom I've work closely with on many projects, and when they told her that the federal award for clerical work has been increased to $20 an hour (meaning that's the new minimum wage for my kind of position), the director tried to argue with them. Not matter what the agency said about it not being an option but a federal law, she still wouldn't accept the increase. She even asked the agency to find someone else who would work at $19.25!! For a company the size of Employer A (a rather large international one), there is no reason why they can't swallow 75cents to keep a loyal, hardworking, over-qualified and under-paid person to do a job they really need a permanent employee to fill.
I'm seriously so insulted. I work so damn hard there because they are so understaffed and ridiculously disorganized and there is absolutely no thanks. Despite all of my hard work and the fact that I'm actually bringing money back to the department (pretty much the only one really), they're willing to just ditch me over 75cents!!
With my visa situation, it's so hard to get good work to begin with and just as hard to find a temp position for more than one day a week and lasting more than two weeks. Even harder to find an employer that shows you any kind of appreciation, is professional, or isn't a hostile work environment.So do I quit and wait for something to pay me better even though it may take months? Do I stay because at least it's some work even though I secretly know my hard work is worth less than a dollar to them? Or do I quit temping all together and just go look for something else that may have me working nights and weekends, or worse, I never get a response to my application like everywhere else?
I feel like I just can't get a break in Sydney. I have had nothing but problems with work the entire year I've been here. I just want to work some place where people care about their job, about their employees and about their clients. I want to work some place where I feel valued and where I actually enjoy working.
I don't know what to do. I guess I just get my resume ready and hope it doesn't take too long to find a real solution.
To draw a few comparisons, Employer A pays me $19.25 to audit their account records, liaise with clients, organize their records, edit articles, write content for their website, sell products, code up content for the website, check invoices, file order forms, and keep the manager organized (cause she kind of needs it). Employer B (my other job) pays me $25 an hour to make contact sheets of potential clients, random editing, print things, stuff envelopes and occasionally make something creative for marketing. I do arguably 10x more work for Employer A than Employer B.
Furthermore, I've been working for Employer A a total of six months while Employer B has only had me for three. For Employer A, I actually fill a real vacant position; for Employer B, I really just pick up the odds and ends around the office.
Why the huge pay difference?
Considering that I've been doing SO MUCH work for Employer A and have even got them credited $8,000 because I have such a great eye for detail (at work, I should add--not blogging), I really felt I deserved more money than that. Not to mention, my manager was saying I should be paid more too and was urging me to get the agency to increase my pay (unfortunately it's not her decision or else I'd be hired permanently).
So I called the agency to tell them I want a raise and what I found out kind of made me sick. They said that on Wednesday, they called the director at Employer A who oversees my department and whom I've work closely with on many projects, and when they told her that the federal award for clerical work has been increased to $20 an hour (meaning that's the new minimum wage for my kind of position), the director tried to argue with them. Not matter what the agency said about it not being an option but a federal law, she still wouldn't accept the increase. She even asked the agency to find someone else who would work at $19.25!! For a company the size of Employer A (a rather large international one), there is no reason why they can't swallow 75cents to keep a loyal, hardworking, over-qualified and under-paid person to do a job they really need a permanent employee to fill.
I'm seriously so insulted. I work so damn hard there because they are so understaffed and ridiculously disorganized and there is absolutely no thanks. Despite all of my hard work and the fact that I'm actually bringing money back to the department (pretty much the only one really), they're willing to just ditch me over 75cents!!
With my visa situation, it's so hard to get good work to begin with and just as hard to find a temp position for more than one day a week and lasting more than two weeks. Even harder to find an employer that shows you any kind of appreciation, is professional, or isn't a hostile work environment.So do I quit and wait for something to pay me better even though it may take months? Do I stay because at least it's some work even though I secretly know my hard work is worth less than a dollar to them? Or do I quit temping all together and just go look for something else that may have me working nights and weekends, or worse, I never get a response to my application like everywhere else?
I feel like I just can't get a break in Sydney. I have had nothing but problems with work the entire year I've been here. I just want to work some place where people care about their job, about their employees and about their clients. I want to work some place where I feel valued and where I actually enjoy working.
I don't know what to do. I guess I just get my resume ready and hope it doesn't take too long to find a real solution.
Friday, July 2, 2010
#506
Where has the time gone and how did I get to 506 posts so quickly? Too bad I missed the big 500... I just realized today how far a long I've gotten. I guess I'll have to wait until 1,000 to make a big deal of it.
This week has been a big ol' rollercoaster of happiness and sadness.
Monday we were approved for an apartment--a too small but cute apartment. We were elated but after crunching the numbers, we realized we really don't have enough money to move which is kind of a bummer cause the mold is creeping back (this week on shoes, the wall and Jeremy suit pants). We thought that bond transfers were normal but apparently this is not the case and LJ Hooker refused to work with Raine and Horne to transfer our bond. That was the kicker for us. Having to front up 4 weeks rent plus 4 weeks bond in cash is hard to do. We decided that it's better to live with the mold a little longer than to just squeeze by.
However, immediately after informing the agency that we won't be taken the place (they were super perturbed that we asked so many questions--don't think we can apply there anymore), I found out that the big domain name project I've been working on for months has finally been resolved with a $8,000 credit to the company all because of my attention to detail and perseverance. I have been working on this for four months and it's been the most disgustingly frustrating job on earth. I've been over my head in account records, invoices and spreadsheets. I nearly lost it a few times and once had to go take a walk because the third party supplier I was working with was being so uncooperative. But we got there--I got there--and now the director of my division is so happy that she's taken me out to lunch next week! Seriously, I really needed that. I really needed to know I was appreciated and actually accomplishing something.
But Tuesday brought more disappointment. Yet again, I was attacked at work for being an American. I was busy talking with one of the web developers about a new site we are launching soon when this shmoozy guy comes up and interrupts to brag about his stupid new iPad. He didn't even say excuse me! And then, completely unprovoked and off topic, he starts laying in to me about how American-centric our newspapers are, telling me none of them are good, and that we all want to be like Canadians because they're almost British and therefore better. He also thought it was appropriate to inform me that America is the only former colony to not join the Common Wealth (which is actually incorrect)--oh, and he informed me that this is because we see it as empirialistic and hate the monarchy. WTF? All of this time I hadn't said anything in retaliation but at that I politely informed him that the US had nearly 200 years of independence under it's belt by the time the Common Wealth was formed and any ties to England were long severed--there was no reason to join. But of course logic is beyond the capabilities of yet another Australian and he continued to try and draw me into an argument. I had to just walk away which he yelled something about the Tea Party back at me.
I don't know what to say. How can anyone believe this is appropriate office conversation? And why pick on me because I'm an American?? You know, in all my time at home, I never heard anyone ever make fun of Australians or Brits. Why is it so acceptable here to hate Americans? This is not the first time I've encountered an overly patriotic idiot hell bent on fighting with Americans.
The universe compensated me though for the berating I withstood, and Tuesday afternoon I found out that I finally have a case officer to oversee my visa application! This is a very good sign that I'm getting closer. Hopefully I'll be able to make contact with her this coming week and get this thing moving along!
Wednesday was yet another disappointing day at work. My team has been recently reduced to two people (excluding myself) and one of them is so unpleasant. She's an Iranian girl who has nothing nice to say to me--ever. She scowls at everything I say, rolls her eyes whenever I ask for her help and likes to lecture me on everything from how I do my hair to how to lose weight. Seriously, she is pissing me off. Unfortunately, she was invited along with some other developers to my lunch with the director, who asked for our restaurant suggestions. I suggested a Persian (Iranian) place down the street along with some other lovely places with goo reviews and she came over to yell at me and berate me for suggesting those places! And no matter how many times I asked her what her suggestion was, she had none. Only insults for me. I just wanted to throw my shoe at her. I reached out to Facebook for suggestions so I'll do the same here: what do you do to disengage hostile people at work?
Thursday was hardly better. I was at my other job in North Sydney and the whole office went out to get lunch and say good bye to one of the sales reps who's leaving. I wasn't invited though--they asked me to stay and answer the phones. Fine, I'm the temp, right? I'll stay and answer the phones but they could have at least apologized for making me do that or offered to bring me back something! I've been working there since March now... It's really hard to feel like part of the team and then be showed your not. I really felt like crying but decided I wasn't going to waste my tears on them. To add insult though, the receptionist locked her computer when she left so I had to sit there and do nothing--absolutely nothing--for over an hour until they came back. And you know how many phone calls we got? 0.
Today has been better. I went out and bought some slippers and some more flannel pajamas (I found them on sale at Myer--Australia's Macy's equivalent--for $10). I also picked up a can of pumpkin pie mix at my super secret American candy supplier in the city. It's been FREEZING here! Just the other night we had the lowest recorded temperature in Sydney in over 40 years! So flannel pjs and pumpkin pie sounds really good to me right now.
Sunday is the 4th of July and Jeremy and I will be celebrating at Hart's Pub in The Rocks. If you're an American in Sydney and needing a piece of home, for one day only, this is the place to be! Philly cheese steaks, pulled pork sandwiches, BBQ wings, and chilli cheese fries! Oh, and don't forget apple pie! I can't wait to get a piece of home--oh how I miss it everyday!!
So things are looking up for the weekend. I have high hopes that I can overcome this week's disappointments and maybe--just maybe!--start next week off on the right foot.
Happy Independence Day everyone!!
This week has been a big ol' rollercoaster of happiness and sadness.
Monday we were approved for an apartment--a too small but cute apartment. We were elated but after crunching the numbers, we realized we really don't have enough money to move which is kind of a bummer cause the mold is creeping back (this week on shoes, the wall and Jeremy suit pants). We thought that bond transfers were normal but apparently this is not the case and LJ Hooker refused to work with Raine and Horne to transfer our bond. That was the kicker for us. Having to front up 4 weeks rent plus 4 weeks bond in cash is hard to do. We decided that it's better to live with the mold a little longer than to just squeeze by.
However, immediately after informing the agency that we won't be taken the place (they were super perturbed that we asked so many questions--don't think we can apply there anymore), I found out that the big domain name project I've been working on for months has finally been resolved with a $8,000 credit to the company all because of my attention to detail and perseverance. I have been working on this for four months and it's been the most disgustingly frustrating job on earth. I've been over my head in account records, invoices and spreadsheets. I nearly lost it a few times and once had to go take a walk because the third party supplier I was working with was being so uncooperative. But we got there--I got there--and now the director of my division is so happy that she's taken me out to lunch next week! Seriously, I really needed that. I really needed to know I was appreciated and actually accomplishing something.
But Tuesday brought more disappointment. Yet again, I was attacked at work for being an American. I was busy talking with one of the web developers about a new site we are launching soon when this shmoozy guy comes up and interrupts to brag about his stupid new iPad. He didn't even say excuse me! And then, completely unprovoked and off topic, he starts laying in to me about how American-centric our newspapers are, telling me none of them are good, and that we all want to be like Canadians because they're almost British and therefore better. He also thought it was appropriate to inform me that America is the only former colony to not join the Common Wealth (which is actually incorrect)--oh, and he informed me that this is because we see it as empirialistic and hate the monarchy. WTF? All of this time I hadn't said anything in retaliation but at that I politely informed him that the US had nearly 200 years of independence under it's belt by the time the Common Wealth was formed and any ties to England were long severed--there was no reason to join. But of course logic is beyond the capabilities of yet another Australian and he continued to try and draw me into an argument. I had to just walk away which he yelled something about the Tea Party back at me.
I don't know what to say. How can anyone believe this is appropriate office conversation? And why pick on me because I'm an American?? You know, in all my time at home, I never heard anyone ever make fun of Australians or Brits. Why is it so acceptable here to hate Americans? This is not the first time I've encountered an overly patriotic idiot hell bent on fighting with Americans.
The universe compensated me though for the berating I withstood, and Tuesday afternoon I found out that I finally have a case officer to oversee my visa application! This is a very good sign that I'm getting closer. Hopefully I'll be able to make contact with her this coming week and get this thing moving along!
Wednesday was yet another disappointing day at work. My team has been recently reduced to two people (excluding myself) and one of them is so unpleasant. She's an Iranian girl who has nothing nice to say to me--ever. She scowls at everything I say, rolls her eyes whenever I ask for her help and likes to lecture me on everything from how I do my hair to how to lose weight. Seriously, she is pissing me off. Unfortunately, she was invited along with some other developers to my lunch with the director, who asked for our restaurant suggestions. I suggested a Persian (Iranian) place down the street along with some other lovely places with goo reviews and she came over to yell at me and berate me for suggesting those places! And no matter how many times I asked her what her suggestion was, she had none. Only insults for me. I just wanted to throw my shoe at her. I reached out to Facebook for suggestions so I'll do the same here: what do you do to disengage hostile people at work?
Thursday was hardly better. I was at my other job in North Sydney and the whole office went out to get lunch and say good bye to one of the sales reps who's leaving. I wasn't invited though--they asked me to stay and answer the phones. Fine, I'm the temp, right? I'll stay and answer the phones but they could have at least apologized for making me do that or offered to bring me back something! I've been working there since March now... It's really hard to feel like part of the team and then be showed your not. I really felt like crying but decided I wasn't going to waste my tears on them. To add insult though, the receptionist locked her computer when she left so I had to sit there and do nothing--absolutely nothing--for over an hour until they came back. And you know how many phone calls we got? 0.
Today has been better. I went out and bought some slippers and some more flannel pajamas (I found them on sale at Myer--Australia's Macy's equivalent--for $10). I also picked up a can of pumpkin pie mix at my super secret American candy supplier in the city. It's been FREEZING here! Just the other night we had the lowest recorded temperature in Sydney in over 40 years! So flannel pjs and pumpkin pie sounds really good to me right now.
Sunday is the 4th of July and Jeremy and I will be celebrating at Hart's Pub in The Rocks. If you're an American in Sydney and needing a piece of home, for one day only, this is the place to be! Philly cheese steaks, pulled pork sandwiches, BBQ wings, and chilli cheese fries! Oh, and don't forget apple pie! I can't wait to get a piece of home--oh how I miss it everyday!!
So things are looking up for the weekend. I have high hopes that I can overcome this week's disappointments and maybe--just maybe!--start next week off on the right foot.
Happy Independence Day everyone!!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
'Temp'estuous Feelings
Being a temp can be a pretty rough gig sometimes. Let me be clear that I'm really glad I have this job because I can work past 6 months with them and the jobs I do are actually resume worthy (as opposed to something like Subway or Burger King which is not). But temping is not really all that great.
You never know how long your job will last; you never know what the job is really going to entail (or if you're really qualified to do it); you never know if you can really make plans on your day off because you might be called in somewhere; you never know how much your paycheck is going to be a month from now which makes it soo hard to save and plan ahead; and you don't get paid holidays or sick leave.
But I think the thing that annoys me most is how undervalued you are. You come in to a place, pick up without training where the other person left off, you get paid less that regular employees, and no one seems to notice when you bring in new sales, organize their disorganization, catch their errors, and/or save them money.
Last week really annoyed me when I received a phone call after business hours the night before I was supposed to come to work asking me not to come in because they were too busy to put together some work for me, and then they asked for me to come in the next day instead (never mind that it was supposed to be my day off and I had made plans) because they thought they would have stuff put together for me then.
Is this really acceptable business etiquette? It just made me feel so disposable. It's really not nice to do that do that to people. They really could have given me a few days notice--even one day's notice would have helped. With the combination of a holiday last week and them canceling on me, I was only able to work two days and made a total of $190. That's just not enough...
I'm just getting so tired of temping. It's not great work. There's no security and no value in the work other than it looks better on your resume than other casual jobs. But because of my visa situation, my work options are limited. I guess my gratefulness extends to about the sum of my weekly paycheck (which isn't very big).
You never realize how much your work life effects your personal life until you're in a job that lacks.
You never know how long your job will last; you never know what the job is really going to entail (or if you're really qualified to do it); you never know if you can really make plans on your day off because you might be called in somewhere; you never know how much your paycheck is going to be a month from now which makes it soo hard to save and plan ahead; and you don't get paid holidays or sick leave.
But I think the thing that annoys me most is how undervalued you are. You come in to a place, pick up without training where the other person left off, you get paid less that regular employees, and no one seems to notice when you bring in new sales, organize their disorganization, catch their errors, and/or save them money.
Last week really annoyed me when I received a phone call after business hours the night before I was supposed to come to work asking me not to come in because they were too busy to put together some work for me, and then they asked for me to come in the next day instead (never mind that it was supposed to be my day off and I had made plans) because they thought they would have stuff put together for me then.
Is this really acceptable business etiquette? It just made me feel so disposable. It's really not nice to do that do that to people. They really could have given me a few days notice--even one day's notice would have helped. With the combination of a holiday last week and them canceling on me, I was only able to work two days and made a total of $190. That's just not enough...
I'm just getting so tired of temping. It's not great work. There's no security and no value in the work other than it looks better on your resume than other casual jobs. But because of my visa situation, my work options are limited. I guess my gratefulness extends to about the sum of my weekly paycheck (which isn't very big).
You never realize how much your work life effects your personal life until you're in a job that lacks.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Blurbbles.
We need more people like you.
Today I learned that one of the guys at work used to be a director at Coca-Cola in Australia and was making $300,000+ but gave it all up because the job didn't make him happy, didn't challenge him and the money wasn't satisfying. His words: "There was no where left for me to go in the company and I don't need that much money--no one needs that much money." So he works for himself now and he does what he enjoys. Not many executives would turn down that kind of pay these days. The world needs more people like Joseph. He is a white rhino in a sea of cane toads.
Expanding Your Horizons
I actually went to a corny conference in 4th and 5th grade under this title that aimed to encourage young kids to excel academically and take every opportunity offered to them. In truth, I can't remember anything other than that I made a friend from another school and that I really liked the t-shirt they gave us. But today I think my horizon got a little wider. I sent off an application today for a presentation program assistant at the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) in their television division. I think I'm a good fit for this job and I'm more than qualified to do it (it's also a good "in" for me as the ABC is a very reputable news source here akin to the BBC). Keep your fingers crossed for me because I need something more challenging that what I'm doing now. And I need full time work. If I get this job, it's completely possible that I pay off ALL my student loans in the next 6 months--yeah, um, it's that good of a job. Will the sun set or the sun rise on my horizon? Keep watching this space to find out!
My Biker Boyfriend
Actually it's a road bike but I like flattering him. Jeremy got a new bike last week. We had been talking about a new bike for sometime now and looking at this particular one since November, but ultimately decided to leave it until we got ahead on loans and stuff. But plans changed. Last week, while Jeremy was riding home, he lost his shifter which is kind of like loosing the clutch on a truck--riding is still possible but it makes for one horrible ride to work. So we dug into our savings--again!--and put a bit towards a new bike. It really was inevitable though as his old bike was pretty old and nothing on it could be salvaged. Luckily the price had gone down $300 since the last time we looked at it which made things a lot easier to swallow. He's very happy though. All he can talk about is how fast it goes! It's adorable.
Put 'yer money in a jar and bury it!
It seems like saving money is always two steps forward and one step back. Aside from the bike purchase, we also had to put down a sizable loan payment recently in case I run out of temp work before the new visa is approved. And in addition to the loan, I also had to invest in some better clothes because even though Thomson Reuters doesn't care if I wear t-shirts and capris to work, sooner or later I'm going to find myself working some place that does care and I'm going to look like a real bogan. Plus, my t-shirts are all getting holes these days. So we put $400 into my wardrobe which sounds like a lot to anyone in the US but here in Australia, that's like 4 shirts, a belt and a pair of pants (even when you're bargain hunting!). Geeze, life here is expensive! Sometimes I really wish I could just bury my money so I wouldn't touch it! But while we're speaking of savings, we're hovering just around the $2,300 mark which means we can pretty much buy tickets to fly home now. However, we're limited by my current visa situation which doesn't allow me to leave the country until my application is approved. So... No trips home anytime soon. We'll have to wait for the visa to be approved before we buy tickets (just to be on the safe side). In the meantime, we continue to save. Hopefully we'll have an extra $1,000 to go home with (wishful thinking, maybe?).
Take a picture--it'll last longer.
Not much happening on the photography front these days. I've been busy temping which has left me short of time to put together projects and job ads. Plus, my main focus these days is to concentrate on getting a website put together so that when I get residency I can immediately get my business license and start making this photography thing happen. I'm not really a computer person (not like Jeremy, that is) and all of the information out there is blowing my mind. I'm having a really hard time just trying to find a free web template that I like and then deciding which CMS system to use. I started investigating Joomla! the other day but was so overwhelmed after 10 minutes that I had to walk away. And then, to use flash or not? To incorporate a blog? What about indexing and SEO? How often do I need to update and change my gallery collections? How much is too much? Do I sell prints directly from my site? If so, which ones? And choosing a good host company! My brain is melting just talking about all this!! Small goals first, right? This weekend my goal is to find a host, purchase a domain, and find at least five photographer websites that I like. Tips from fellow web buildings would be appreciated in the comments section of this blog.
For Ryan and Lindsey
Monday is Anzac Day in Australia and though the day is meant to commemorate the sacrifice of Australian men and women who've given their all to the military, I'd also like to make a shout out for my cousins Ryan and Lindsey. Both of them are/where in Afghanistan fighting for our freedom and the freedom of others, the rights of women to determine their futures, world security, and freedom from religious extremism. I am so grateful for their live and their selflessness to move across the globe and offer their lives for people they've never known. It's a beautiful thing. And I also want to send out a big thanks to all the Australian troops deployed overseas too who don't know me but fight for my rights too. Happy Anzac Day everyone!
Today I learned that one of the guys at work used to be a director at Coca-Cola in Australia and was making $300,000+ but gave it all up because the job didn't make him happy, didn't challenge him and the money wasn't satisfying. His words: "There was no where left for me to go in the company and I don't need that much money--no one needs that much money." So he works for himself now and he does what he enjoys. Not many executives would turn down that kind of pay these days. The world needs more people like Joseph. He is a white rhino in a sea of cane toads.
Expanding Your Horizons
I actually went to a corny conference in 4th and 5th grade under this title that aimed to encourage young kids to excel academically and take every opportunity offered to them. In truth, I can't remember anything other than that I made a friend from another school and that I really liked the t-shirt they gave us. But today I think my horizon got a little wider. I sent off an application today for a presentation program assistant at the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) in their television division. I think I'm a good fit for this job and I'm more than qualified to do it (it's also a good "in" for me as the ABC is a very reputable news source here akin to the BBC). Keep your fingers crossed for me because I need something more challenging that what I'm doing now. And I need full time work. If I get this job, it's completely possible that I pay off ALL my student loans in the next 6 months--yeah, um, it's that good of a job. Will the sun set or the sun rise on my horizon? Keep watching this space to find out!
My Biker Boyfriend
Actually it's a road bike but I like flattering him. Jeremy got a new bike last week. We had been talking about a new bike for sometime now and looking at this particular one since November, but ultimately decided to leave it until we got ahead on loans and stuff. But plans changed. Last week, while Jeremy was riding home, he lost his shifter which is kind of like loosing the clutch on a truck--riding is still possible but it makes for one horrible ride to work. So we dug into our savings--again!--and put a bit towards a new bike. It really was inevitable though as his old bike was pretty old and nothing on it could be salvaged. Luckily the price had gone down $300 since the last time we looked at it which made things a lot easier to swallow. He's very happy though. All he can talk about is how fast it goes! It's adorable.
Put 'yer money in a jar and bury it!
It seems like saving money is always two steps forward and one step back. Aside from the bike purchase, we also had to put down a sizable loan payment recently in case I run out of temp work before the new visa is approved. And in addition to the loan, I also had to invest in some better clothes because even though Thomson Reuters doesn't care if I wear t-shirts and capris to work, sooner or later I'm going to find myself working some place that does care and I'm going to look like a real bogan. Plus, my t-shirts are all getting holes these days. So we put $400 into my wardrobe which sounds like a lot to anyone in the US but here in Australia, that's like 4 shirts, a belt and a pair of pants (even when you're bargain hunting!). Geeze, life here is expensive! Sometimes I really wish I could just bury my money so I wouldn't touch it! But while we're speaking of savings, we're hovering just around the $2,300 mark which means we can pretty much buy tickets to fly home now. However, we're limited by my current visa situation which doesn't allow me to leave the country until my application is approved. So... No trips home anytime soon. We'll have to wait for the visa to be approved before we buy tickets (just to be on the safe side). In the meantime, we continue to save. Hopefully we'll have an extra $1,000 to go home with (wishful thinking, maybe?).
Take a picture--it'll last longer.
Not much happening on the photography front these days. I've been busy temping which has left me short of time to put together projects and job ads. Plus, my main focus these days is to concentrate on getting a website put together so that when I get residency I can immediately get my business license and start making this photography thing happen. I'm not really a computer person (not like Jeremy, that is) and all of the information out there is blowing my mind. I'm having a really hard time just trying to find a free web template that I like and then deciding which CMS system to use. I started investigating Joomla! the other day but was so overwhelmed after 10 minutes that I had to walk away. And then, to use flash or not? To incorporate a blog? What about indexing and SEO? How often do I need to update and change my gallery collections? How much is too much? Do I sell prints directly from my site? If so, which ones? And choosing a good host company! My brain is melting just talking about all this!! Small goals first, right? This weekend my goal is to find a host, purchase a domain, and find at least five photographer websites that I like. Tips from fellow web buildings would be appreciated in the comments section of this blog.
For Ryan and Lindsey
Monday is Anzac Day in Australia and though the day is meant to commemorate the sacrifice of Australian men and women who've given their all to the military, I'd also like to make a shout out for my cousins Ryan and Lindsey. Both of them are/where in Afghanistan fighting for our freedom and the freedom of others, the rights of women to determine their futures, world security, and freedom from religious extremism. I am so grateful for their live and their selflessness to move across the globe and offer their lives for people they've never known. It's a beautiful thing. And I also want to send out a big thanks to all the Australian troops deployed overseas too who don't know me but fight for my rights too. Happy Anzac Day everyone!
Monday, March 29, 2010
Too Tired to Blog
I feel so tired lately. I've been working full time for the last month and I had forgotten how much energy that took. My day is reduced to wake up, shower, make lunches, watch news, check emails (but don't reply), catch the bus, work, eat lunch with Jeremy, day dream, work more, catch another bus, cook dinner, watch house, brush teeth, and repeat.
But, in the midst of my exhaustion, some good things are happening.
1. We turned in the visa application and I did my health check. We're still waiting for the results as well as the letter of confirmation for the submission of the visa, but all in good time I suspect.
2. Because I've had so much work, we've been able to save a bit of money and we almost have enough to come home. Never mind we only have enough for the flights but that's at least a start. We'll have to wait for the visa to be approved before I leave the country (and before we purchase tickets) but I'm really excited about seeing my family again.
3. We're a couple of dreamers and even though I don't have full time work and even though we don't have money, we're going to start putting it aside for a real vacation. Maybe Burma in December? We're hoping to take advantage of Jeremy's forced leave around Christmas. And we're desperate for a change of scene. Life here is a little boring...
4. I got paid for my photography! Yay! It wasn't much but more than what I expected. We've since decided to put that towards our trip home and I'll worry about camera gear later. Family first, camera second. (Trying to get my priorities in order!)
5. Jeremy's birthday is on April 5th and we're making plans for our big 4 day weekend! Okay, so we can't really do much but we do plan on going to Luna Park (Sydney's Coney Island equivalent) and picnicking on the harbour (we bought some expensive goat cheese for the occasion since we don't have money go away but still deserve a treat). There might also be some hiking and beach coming in this weekend adventure--stay tuned!
6. I've been in touch with the Korean Times and I'm writing an article for them about Jeomchon as a second part to their story on Mungyeong and the hidden gems of Korean tourism! This is SUPER exciting to get my first piece published in a national paper! And they want to print some pictures to go along with it! They intend to run it on or around April 9th so I'll keep you posted when it goes to print! I love success. Make me feel so confident. :)
7. Easter and Passover! We've been blessed with a lovely package from Mom and Grandma with birthday presents for Jeremy and yummy chocolate for us both to share! I love Easter! We're also planning to have our first family Seder and we've purchased some matzo to make some matzo ball soup! (Not really that delicious but void of calories, so...) I'm also making us a wild goat roast! Never done roast (or goat!) before so I'm hoping it works out! Can't wait to tell you all about it! A special blog is coming up about the Seder!!
8. It's raining and it hasn't rained in weeks! I know some of you will think I'm crazy for saying this but I'm so sick of sun. I just want some real dark and cold days! The rain today is the best reprieve I've had from pit stains and a sweaty back in weeks! Our house has been roasting inside and all I can think about--dream about!--is snow and other cold wet things. Like pavement. I am a Northwest girl through-and-through. I often wonder if I have RSAD (Reverse Seasonal Affective Disorder) because I seriously feel drained of energy on sunny days and I feel my best in the dark hours before sunrise. And it's even weirder when your seasons are backwards. Right now, my body is saying, "Hey! It should be getting warmer here!" But my head knows it's getting cooler. It really messes me up. But to top it off, spring and fall are like two week seasons here which means there is almost no transition period to ease your way in. I feel like I'm in a seasonal vacuum! And even though it'll get "cooler," it will never get "cold." This body was made to vacation in the tropics--not live in them. Us Anglo Saxons were never meant for the desert.
And, as a side note, I wanted to share with you one of the cute little things Jeremy did today. We have this on-going joke at work that's been perpetuating for months (I keep getting called back to temp at his work place). Whenever I stop by his desk and he's not there, I leave silly little post-it notes in unexpected places. He usually finds them right away like in his coffee cup or under his keyboard but sometimes it takes him a while like the one under his desk or the one in a binder (I think the one in the binder lasted about 3 weeks). Well, today I arrived at work to find a post-it on my desk that said, "Two can play this game!" He didn't leave me many but they were wonderful all the same. I found one under my mouse with some undecipherable scribble on it (Jeremy has atrocious handwriting--he used to be called in to professor's offices to read them his papers) and one in my notebook with a silly little self portrait on it! I was quite surprised and even though I had a tough day today, those little notes gave me reason to smile.
Can I just say that I love, love, love this guy? It's so wonderful to know him and be loved by him. I came across some of my old boyfriends on Facebook today and it really made me realize how fortunate I am that it never worked out between me and them. They are every where and every thing I don't want to be. I'm sure they are still kind people, but wow, my life would be vastly different and I would hate it. Someone had bigger plans for me--and bigger plans yet! I'm so glad to be on this journey with Jeremy. He once called me his Sputnik (Russian for "traveling companion") and I wouldn't have it any other way.
But, in the midst of my exhaustion, some good things are happening.
1. We turned in the visa application and I did my health check. We're still waiting for the results as well as the letter of confirmation for the submission of the visa, but all in good time I suspect.
2. Because I've had so much work, we've been able to save a bit of money and we almost have enough to come home. Never mind we only have enough for the flights but that's at least a start. We'll have to wait for the visa to be approved before I leave the country (and before we purchase tickets) but I'm really excited about seeing my family again.
3. We're a couple of dreamers and even though I don't have full time work and even though we don't have money, we're going to start putting it aside for a real vacation. Maybe Burma in December? We're hoping to take advantage of Jeremy's forced leave around Christmas. And we're desperate for a change of scene. Life here is a little boring...
4. I got paid for my photography! Yay! It wasn't much but more than what I expected. We've since decided to put that towards our trip home and I'll worry about camera gear later. Family first, camera second. (Trying to get my priorities in order!)
5. Jeremy's birthday is on April 5th and we're making plans for our big 4 day weekend! Okay, so we can't really do much but we do plan on going to Luna Park (Sydney's Coney Island equivalent) and picnicking on the harbour (we bought some expensive goat cheese for the occasion since we don't have money go away but still deserve a treat). There might also be some hiking and beach coming in this weekend adventure--stay tuned!
6. I've been in touch with the Korean Times and I'm writing an article for them about Jeomchon as a second part to their story on Mungyeong and the hidden gems of Korean tourism! This is SUPER exciting to get my first piece published in a national paper! And they want to print some pictures to go along with it! They intend to run it on or around April 9th so I'll keep you posted when it goes to print! I love success. Make me feel so confident. :)
7. Easter and Passover! We've been blessed with a lovely package from Mom and Grandma with birthday presents for Jeremy and yummy chocolate for us both to share! I love Easter! We're also planning to have our first family Seder and we've purchased some matzo to make some matzo ball soup! (Not really that delicious but void of calories, so...) I'm also making us a wild goat roast! Never done roast (or goat!) before so I'm hoping it works out! Can't wait to tell you all about it! A special blog is coming up about the Seder!!
8. It's raining and it hasn't rained in weeks! I know some of you will think I'm crazy for saying this but I'm so sick of sun. I just want some real dark and cold days! The rain today is the best reprieve I've had from pit stains and a sweaty back in weeks! Our house has been roasting inside and all I can think about--dream about!--is snow and other cold wet things. Like pavement. I am a Northwest girl through-and-through. I often wonder if I have RSAD (Reverse Seasonal Affective Disorder) because I seriously feel drained of energy on sunny days and I feel my best in the dark hours before sunrise. And it's even weirder when your seasons are backwards. Right now, my body is saying, "Hey! It should be getting warmer here!" But my head knows it's getting cooler. It really messes me up. But to top it off, spring and fall are like two week seasons here which means there is almost no transition period to ease your way in. I feel like I'm in a seasonal vacuum! And even though it'll get "cooler," it will never get "cold." This body was made to vacation in the tropics--not live in them. Us Anglo Saxons were never meant for the desert.
And, as a side note, I wanted to share with you one of the cute little things Jeremy did today. We have this on-going joke at work that's been perpetuating for months (I keep getting called back to temp at his work place). Whenever I stop by his desk and he's not there, I leave silly little post-it notes in unexpected places. He usually finds them right away like in his coffee cup or under his keyboard but sometimes it takes him a while like the one under his desk or the one in a binder (I think the one in the binder lasted about 3 weeks). Well, today I arrived at work to find a post-it on my desk that said, "Two can play this game!" He didn't leave me many but they were wonderful all the same. I found one under my mouse with some undecipherable scribble on it (Jeremy has atrocious handwriting--he used to be called in to professor's offices to read them his papers) and one in my notebook with a silly little self portrait on it! I was quite surprised and even though I had a tough day today, those little notes gave me reason to smile.
Can I just say that I love, love, love this guy? It's so wonderful to know him and be loved by him. I came across some of my old boyfriends on Facebook today and it really made me realize how fortunate I am that it never worked out between me and them. They are every where and every thing I don't want to be. I'm sure they are still kind people, but wow, my life would be vastly different and I would hate it. Someone had bigger plans for me--and bigger plans yet! I'm so glad to be on this journey with Jeremy. He once called me his Sputnik (Russian for "traveling companion") and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Lessons from the Corporate World
I've had the honor of taking a few jobs in large corporations in my time and it's led me to wonder why society tells us that these are the kinds of jobs we should have. It's not as true in the United States but here in Australia, with the majority of the country's populations settled around the five largest cities, this surely seems to be the zenith of everyone's career. Or maybe I've just been hanging out with too many lawyers... And what's not to like? You get Amex cards, frequent flyer points, company cars, business lunches, expensive suits, and the (privilege?) of carrying two mobile phones (most likely a Blackberry and an iPhone). Being "incorporated" is cool and it means you've succeeded, right?
Well, I'm not convinced. Jeremy and I have this conversation quite frequently because as a lawyer who left law and then returned to Australia years later, he feels quite a bit of pressure to get back into it. He feels like if he doesn't, the world will look at him as a failure or as if he's somehow given-up on the dream, as if he threw away his education and is somewhat a fool for it. All of his friends from law school are working in large firms, driving new cars, buying houses, taking vacations to Rio, eating out every night, shopping every weekend at places we can't afford, and it feels like their kind of lifestyle is the answer to our own.
What is our own lifestyle, you ask? Well, we don't have much money (mostly because I can't get consistent work) but Jeremy makes a pretty average salary here and though we survive with a little bit left over each month, I'm still quite shocked by how difficult it is to live off one salary (how do people with families do it?!).
During that time when we couldn't even leave the house because we feared spending money, law seemed quite attractive and it seemed to be everyone's answer to our problems. And why is that? Either because they felt Jeremy was wasting his talent and education as a legal editor or because they bought into this whole myth that the corporate world is such a wonderful place where you make lots of money and get lots of respect.
But it's not. The corporate world is full of materialistic people who paid for that life with their happiness and integrity. Who grows up wanting to be a clerk? Who feels good at the end of the day when they laid off 50 people in order to make the books look like you're bringing in revenue? That's the kind of corporate life I've seen and it's not the kind of life I want.
In my experiences, I've seen people laid-off for no reason other than the one I previously mentioned. I've seen people yelled at for talking but I've also seen people waste an hour or two playing Bejewelled MSN Games. I've seen people treated like furniture and not acknowledged when they came into the room or asked a question. I've seen people put down the wrong product code on items because they couldn't be bothered finding the right answer. I've seen people seriously suggest "do what the last guy did" instead of seeking out the proper procedure. I've seen people pick up phones to call the person on the other side of their cubicle instead of just speaking to them directly. I've seen madness in corporate offices. I've seen inefficiency and failed integrity. I've seen people do their job without pride and without conviction. I've seen people sell their souls for an Amex card. There is no accountability in the corporate world because there is no personal pride.
And so, I must ask my peers why would I want the "respect" of a corporate job when this is the kind of crap the goes on? And why should Jeremy go back to being a lawyer if every 6 minutes of his day must be accounted for on paper? How would you feel if your worth was calculated in 6 minute units? How would you feel if you had to charge someone $300 for two hours of standing by a copy machine?
But more importantly, how do you feel on Mondays and Fridays? Are you dying to escape? Do you feel proud of your work? Do you feel like you've done something to improve your life and the lives of others? Are you always looking for another job or are you content?
These are the things Jeremy and I consider when we talk about our careers and our future. I am determined to never take a job that doesn't give me some sense of self worth, but he feels a lot more pressure than I do and I seriously question those who encourage him to return to a world that doesn't value him. I think Jeremy is worth a whole lot more than a Blackberry and a fancy title.
Money counts for something but it doesn't count for everything, so we struggle on. I don't know if he'll ever go back to being a lawyer and I don't know if I'll ever make it as a photographer. For him, he grew up with the dream of making lots of money; I grew up with the dream of just being happy. I think both of those are products of our childhoods but there's no reason why we can't have both (or at least enough to be comfortable), and, as a future wife who loves her future husband without end, I will never encourage him to settle for society's standard of success. Instead, I'm going to encourage him to make his own.
Well, I'm not convinced. Jeremy and I have this conversation quite frequently because as a lawyer who left law and then returned to Australia years later, he feels quite a bit of pressure to get back into it. He feels like if he doesn't, the world will look at him as a failure or as if he's somehow given-up on the dream, as if he threw away his education and is somewhat a fool for it. All of his friends from law school are working in large firms, driving new cars, buying houses, taking vacations to Rio, eating out every night, shopping every weekend at places we can't afford, and it feels like their kind of lifestyle is the answer to our own.
What is our own lifestyle, you ask? Well, we don't have much money (mostly because I can't get consistent work) but Jeremy makes a pretty average salary here and though we survive with a little bit left over each month, I'm still quite shocked by how difficult it is to live off one salary (how do people with families do it?!).
- We eat out maybe twice a month; we plan our meals and therefore our shopping list.
- We take the bus or ride the bike instead of paying for a car.
- We turn off everything when we leave the house; we try to take colder showers to cut down on the gas bill.
- We run fans instead of an air conditioner (not that we have one anyway); we keep a cheap apartment for our area ($360 per weeks is CHEAP for Sydney's inner-west!).
- We find free media outlets online instead of paying for movies and we don't have cable.
- We wear our old clothes (many of J's things were purchased before 2007 and he seriously has only bought one shirt since then; my clothes were either purchased in the US and sent here or I bought them at cheap t-shirt shops in Sydney).
During that time when we couldn't even leave the house because we feared spending money, law seemed quite attractive and it seemed to be everyone's answer to our problems. And why is that? Either because they felt Jeremy was wasting his talent and education as a legal editor or because they bought into this whole myth that the corporate world is such a wonderful place where you make lots of money and get lots of respect.
But it's not. The corporate world is full of materialistic people who paid for that life with their happiness and integrity. Who grows up wanting to be a clerk? Who feels good at the end of the day when they laid off 50 people in order to make the books look like you're bringing in revenue? That's the kind of corporate life I've seen and it's not the kind of life I want.
In my experiences, I've seen people laid-off for no reason other than the one I previously mentioned. I've seen people yelled at for talking but I've also seen people waste an hour or two playing Bejewelled MSN Games. I've seen people treated like furniture and not acknowledged when they came into the room or asked a question. I've seen people put down the wrong product code on items because they couldn't be bothered finding the right answer. I've seen people seriously suggest "do what the last guy did" instead of seeking out the proper procedure. I've seen people pick up phones to call the person on the other side of their cubicle instead of just speaking to them directly. I've seen madness in corporate offices. I've seen inefficiency and failed integrity. I've seen people do their job without pride and without conviction. I've seen people sell their souls for an Amex card. There is no accountability in the corporate world because there is no personal pride.
And so, I must ask my peers why would I want the "respect" of a corporate job when this is the kind of crap the goes on? And why should Jeremy go back to being a lawyer if every 6 minutes of his day must be accounted for on paper? How would you feel if your worth was calculated in 6 minute units? How would you feel if you had to charge someone $300 for two hours of standing by a copy machine?
But more importantly, how do you feel on Mondays and Fridays? Are you dying to escape? Do you feel proud of your work? Do you feel like you've done something to improve your life and the lives of others? Are you always looking for another job or are you content?
These are the things Jeremy and I consider when we talk about our careers and our future. I am determined to never take a job that doesn't give me some sense of self worth, but he feels a lot more pressure than I do and I seriously question those who encourage him to return to a world that doesn't value him. I think Jeremy is worth a whole lot more than a Blackberry and a fancy title.
Money counts for something but it doesn't count for everything, so we struggle on. I don't know if he'll ever go back to being a lawyer and I don't know if I'll ever make it as a photographer. For him, he grew up with the dream of making lots of money; I grew up with the dream of just being happy. I think both of those are products of our childhoods but there's no reason why we can't have both (or at least enough to be comfortable), and, as a future wife who loves her future husband without end, I will never encourage him to settle for society's standard of success. Instead, I'm going to encourage him to make his own.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Catching Up
Sorry I disappeared for a few days. This week has been busy and I've been tired. Last weekend we sweated our butts off downtown watching the lion dance in Chinatown and then went out for Tropfest (the world's largest short film festival) Sunday night which was a lot of fun. I didn't take a camera but wish I had because there were tons of people in the park, the sky was beautifully clear and millions of bats came out in the evening to scour the city for food! We only stayed for the first half but saw plenty of good films including The Last Roll of the Dice which is about an ungly, nerdy woman who makes a video for an internet dating site. At the end, she informs he audience that her father owns a brewery (you know, just incase that tips the scale in her favor). The guest judges were also interesting as they included Elijiah Wood and Toni Collette (though of course they wouldn't let me get close enough to see them). If you don't know anything about Tropfest, the rules are to make a movie under 7 minutes that includes the year's themed item (this year it was dice, next year it is a key). I was quite impressed and am seriously putting some thought into doing it (Sarah--you should encourage Paul to do this!!).
As for the rest of the week, I got the Swine Flu vaccination which pretty much made me immortal for a day but I have since succumbed to the swelling and pain and am now a whining baby. I hate shots. My darling nephew had his fourth birthday yesterday which was pretty exciting too and we got to talk on the phone for the first time in a long time! He's adorable. I loved hearing him repeat everything I said to his mom because he was so excited! Kids are wonderful. :)
Jeremy is doing better and hasn't felt any pain in several days now which is good news! He hopes to be back on his bike in a week from now.
This weekend, we are having a friend from Brisbane stay over which should be fun as Jeremy and I intend to make him pay for his room and board by playing Catan with us! We're also going to dinner at a friend's house in North Sydney tomorrow night after her and I go do some sheet shopping in the afternoon (Sheridan sheets at 80% off!! *sound of jaw hitting the floor*).
And today is my last day at Wesley Private Hospital as a secretary in their out-patient Psychiatric Office. It's been interesting and sometimes tiring as the medical billing can be rather confusing (each doctor does it differently) but I find myself actually a bit sad to go. It took a little while to get the doctors to warm up to me but it's been good the last couple weeks and today a the doctor's wife called to say thanks for being so flexible and helping them with the billing. It made me feel pretty special. I've also found a real soft spot in my heart for some of the patients. Most of them are war veterans who love talking with me about fighting alongside the Americans and how wonderful their last trip to the US was. I also get the occassional depressed 30-something guy who likes to talk or like one guy today, likes to hit on me (calling me sweetie, love or beautiful). Even though he stared at my boobs almost the whole time, it was good to see him smile and seeing that made me not mind so much. I also had a Korean woman come in who had just been released from the hospital and was pretty doped up on meds. Speaking to her in Korean and making her smile made me feel like I had done my good deed for the day. So maybe counseling is in my future? I love that in this office, people leave smiling and I know they get good care. It's an amazing thing to change someone's life for the better.
So that's all! I'll try to keep things going this next week. And stay tuned--I'm sure I'll have another wild adventure at the grocery store this weekend!
As for the rest of the week, I got the Swine Flu vaccination which pretty much made me immortal for a day but I have since succumbed to the swelling and pain and am now a whining baby. I hate shots. My darling nephew had his fourth birthday yesterday which was pretty exciting too and we got to talk on the phone for the first time in a long time! He's adorable. I loved hearing him repeat everything I said to his mom because he was so excited! Kids are wonderful. :)
Jeremy is doing better and hasn't felt any pain in several days now which is good news! He hopes to be back on his bike in a week from now.
This weekend, we are having a friend from Brisbane stay over which should be fun as Jeremy and I intend to make him pay for his room and board by playing Catan with us! We're also going to dinner at a friend's house in North Sydney tomorrow night after her and I go do some sheet shopping in the afternoon (Sheridan sheets at 80% off!! *sound of jaw hitting the floor*).
And today is my last day at Wesley Private Hospital as a secretary in their out-patient Psychiatric Office. It's been interesting and sometimes tiring as the medical billing can be rather confusing (each doctor does it differently) but I find myself actually a bit sad to go. It took a little while to get the doctors to warm up to me but it's been good the last couple weeks and today a the doctor's wife called to say thanks for being so flexible and helping them with the billing. It made me feel pretty special. I've also found a real soft spot in my heart for some of the patients. Most of them are war veterans who love talking with me about fighting alongside the Americans and how wonderful their last trip to the US was. I also get the occassional depressed 30-something guy who likes to talk or like one guy today, likes to hit on me (calling me sweetie, love or beautiful). Even though he stared at my boobs almost the whole time, it was good to see him smile and seeing that made me not mind so much. I also had a Korean woman come in who had just been released from the hospital and was pretty doped up on meds. Speaking to her in Korean and making her smile made me feel like I had done my good deed for the day. So maybe counseling is in my future? I love that in this office, people leave smiling and I know they get good care. It's an amazing thing to change someone's life for the better.
So that's all! I'll try to keep things going this next week. And stay tuned--I'm sure I'll have another wild adventure at the grocery store this weekend!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
I'm a Working Girl
Lots has happend in the last week!
First, I finally got some temp work as a receptionist at Wesley Private Hospital in Ashfield. It's only Mondays and Fridays but it's pretty cool. I don't have to do much other than confirm appointments and take money. Luckily the office I'm working in isn't very busy with only one doctor in on Mondays (after 2:00) and one doctor in on Fridays (all day). So I get to read books all day! The job is until the end of February.
Second, I went out to do some photography yesterday for Crown Catering. The owner of the company also owns Sydney Harbour Tall Ships (the company I did photos for a few months ago) and asked me to come out and do some photos for their catering business--this time for money! It was pretty intense (4 hours under hot lights) but I had such a great time. Everyone was nice, the food looked beautiful and I even got to eat a little of it (tasted good too)! But the best part is that I'm getting paid to do this. I love photography and having the opportunity to do it and earn money makes me super excited. And pay is good--I won't tell you how much but it was double what I expected! I'm not 30% closer to getting the new camera I want!
A small sample of the photos I took:
I also learned while at the shoot that they took out a full page ad in the Telegraph (a daily newspaper) for Sydney Harbour Tall Ships and used my photos for it! It ran for several weeks and just finished so I haven't seen it yet, but I'm on the hunt now--must find that paper!
Third, on the way home I got a call from someone who worked for the Newtown Community Centre as one of the festival organizers, and she asked me if I'd be interested in doing some more event work for her! I'm still waiting for the details via email but let's hope it all looks good and that I can get paid for this one too! I'll be updating you guys on this more later.
It's so good to actually get some recognition for your artistic ability and see some money come in while doing the things you love doing! I've often said that I would do photography just because I love it but I must say, getting paid to do it makes it all the sweeter. I'm super excited that by getting some paid work I'll be able to use my camera to replace itself. I really need a new one! And once I start getting some new gear, I'll hopefully start generating some more money as the quality should be a little better.
What a great week!
First, I finally got some temp work as a receptionist at Wesley Private Hospital in Ashfield. It's only Mondays and Fridays but it's pretty cool. I don't have to do much other than confirm appointments and take money. Luckily the office I'm working in isn't very busy with only one doctor in on Mondays (after 2:00) and one doctor in on Fridays (all day). So I get to read books all day! The job is until the end of February.
Second, I went out to do some photography yesterday for Crown Catering. The owner of the company also owns Sydney Harbour Tall Ships (the company I did photos for a few months ago) and asked me to come out and do some photos for their catering business--this time for money! It was pretty intense (4 hours under hot lights) but I had such a great time. Everyone was nice, the food looked beautiful and I even got to eat a little of it (tasted good too)! But the best part is that I'm getting paid to do this. I love photography and having the opportunity to do it and earn money makes me super excited. And pay is good--I won't tell you how much but it was double what I expected! I'm not 30% closer to getting the new camera I want!
A small sample of the photos I took:
I also learned while at the shoot that they took out a full page ad in the Telegraph (a daily newspaper) for Sydney Harbour Tall Ships and used my photos for it! It ran for several weeks and just finished so I haven't seen it yet, but I'm on the hunt now--must find that paper!
Third, on the way home I got a call from someone who worked for the Newtown Community Centre as one of the festival organizers, and she asked me if I'd be interested in doing some more event work for her! I'm still waiting for the details via email but let's hope it all looks good and that I can get paid for this one too! I'll be updating you guys on this more later.
It's so good to actually get some recognition for your artistic ability and see some money come in while doing the things you love doing! I've often said that I would do photography just because I love it but I must say, getting paid to do it makes it all the sweeter. I'm super excited that by getting some paid work I'll be able to use my camera to replace itself. I really need a new one! And once I start getting some new gear, I'll hopefully start generating some more money as the quality should be a little better.
What a great week!
Sunday, December 6, 2009
World's Laziest Blogger?
Once again, not much to blog about. Christmas is just around the corner though which means Jeremy's parents will be here soon and then I'll have a bit more to blog.
However, if you're desperate for some good reading, I suggest you read this post from a fellow blogger: Monkey Business (for real).
I also suggest you visit this site and read/watch/view the most beautiful photo book that I've ever seen. It'll probably make you cry just as I did but I'm sure you'll be happy for the experience: Days with my Father.
I should also mention that I got a haircut this weekend and that last week I started a second temp job in addition to my current one at Thomson Reuters. It's okay but nothing too exciting. I'm working as an admin assistant for the NSW Nurses Association (a labor union). It's not really too interesting except that there's one lady in the office who likes to play loud 50Cent music and swear at people. The other day, she was calling someone a bitch out loud for everyone to hear. It seems that most people don't mind this sort of language in the work place. Maybe the aggression is just a perk that comes with the job. I'm not sure. It makes me a bit uncomfortable.
Perhaps that's another thing about Australia that you really wouldn't expect but would notice within the first month here: people generally say whatever they want to. Like that lady. Or like another lady at the University of Sydney gym. I went in to buy a pool membership and ended up spending a bit of time on the phone with Jeremy because we needed to discuss some of the cancellation clauses and auto-debit fees. Anyway, while we were on the phone, the manager got right in my face, pointed her finger at me and mouthed, "That's rude!" I was shocked. I still can't understand why she would have behaved like that. It's not like I was holding up a line or anything. I guess when in Rome, do as the Romans. So I gave her a verbal whipping as I hung up the phone and tore up the agreement. What she did was rude and unnecessary and consequently lost my business.
So, there you go. A bit of a story for your day. But really, I'll try to blog something more this week. And post pictures--maybe tomorrow? Good night, Blogland!
However, if you're desperate for some good reading, I suggest you read this post from a fellow blogger: Monkey Business (for real).
I also suggest you visit this site and read/watch/view the most beautiful photo book that I've ever seen. It'll probably make you cry just as I did but I'm sure you'll be happy for the experience: Days with my Father.
I should also mention that I got a haircut this weekend and that last week I started a second temp job in addition to my current one at Thomson Reuters. It's okay but nothing too exciting. I'm working as an admin assistant for the NSW Nurses Association (a labor union). It's not really too interesting except that there's one lady in the office who likes to play loud 50Cent music and swear at people. The other day, she was calling someone a bitch out loud for everyone to hear. It seems that most people don't mind this sort of language in the work place. Maybe the aggression is just a perk that comes with the job. I'm not sure. It makes me a bit uncomfortable.
Perhaps that's another thing about Australia that you really wouldn't expect but would notice within the first month here: people generally say whatever they want to. Like that lady. Or like another lady at the University of Sydney gym. I went in to buy a pool membership and ended up spending a bit of time on the phone with Jeremy because we needed to discuss some of the cancellation clauses and auto-debit fees. Anyway, while we were on the phone, the manager got right in my face, pointed her finger at me and mouthed, "That's rude!" I was shocked. I still can't understand why she would have behaved like that. It's not like I was holding up a line or anything. I guess when in Rome, do as the Romans. So I gave her a verbal whipping as I hung up the phone and tore up the agreement. What she did was rude and unnecessary and consequently lost my business.
So, there you go. A bit of a story for your day. But really, I'll try to blog something more this week. And post pictures--maybe tomorrow? Good night, Blogland!
Monday, November 9, 2009
Newtown Festival
I had such a good time at the festival yesterday and amazingly pulled out a few good photos. I say "amazingly" because the rain made everything harder. People were unhappy and running for cover and I was constantly trying to shield my camera and wipe water off the lens. But I did get some good photos and in the end, I had a good time. I also had a moment to run around and look at a few stalls (very good) while sampling to food (extra good). And being a volunteer had it's perks: a t-shirt, a backpack, a free meal at the festival, and a thank-you dinner later this week. All in all, it was a good day.
Monday, November 2, 2009
More Jobs!
I am super excited because today I got another photography gig for the Newtown Festival--which is a big deal. These photos will definitely be used on the website and for future promotions plus there is a good chance they will be sent out to newpapers too.
Wow! This is SUCH a good opportunity and I can't WAIT to be a part of this! The Newtown Festival is located in Camperdown Memorial Park--literally one block away from my house--and will be an all day event with a dog show, a writer's tent, lots of food, yoga, a magic show, face painting, and of course, concerts. There is so much to do and so much to photograph! I'm going to be busy!
Wow! This is SUCH a good opportunity and I can't WAIT to be a part of this! The Newtown Festival is located in Camperdown Memorial Park--literally one block away from my house--and will be an all day event with a dog show, a writer's tent, lots of food, yoga, a magic show, face painting, and of course, concerts. There is so much to do and so much to photograph! I'm going to be busy!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Exhausted
I don't have much energy to write this week. It was a busy, busy weekend as we had our house warming party (which went super well). We had about 10 people over in all; we drank wine, showed our travel photos, ate delicious appetizers made by your's truly (salmon, feta, basil, and grapes on a baguette slice--yum!), and really just enjoyed having friends over. Oh, and we also enjoyed having a SUPER clean house! Wow! One of those: "I had no idea all of this was under all of that!" kind of moments...
Among our 10 friend was a new couple of friends (Matt and Lisa) whom we met at a birthday party the weekend before. They were teachers in Japan a few years back so we hit it off right away talking about all our teaching experiences (Matt and Lisa met each other while teaching too). It really is so nice to have another couple to be friends with. I like all our single friends too but it's just nice in an unexplainable way.
The other cool thing about them is that Lisa works as a director for a local language college and wants me to do some photography for them! Apparently they are in great need of a new look for their school and publications so I may have some more stuff coming my way which is super exciting.
Other than that, I've just been busy working at Thomson Reuters again. Today I almost went nuts though trying to work with one of the website developers. It's really hard being in this position sometimes because I know zilch about web design/maintenance. I'm learning though and hopefully making myself an invaluable employee! I've been told that they want me there for atleast 4 weeks (which is good) but let's hope it's more. I think I like being there and it's nice working with/near Jeremy too.
Among our 10 friend was a new couple of friends (Matt and Lisa) whom we met at a birthday party the weekend before. They were teachers in Japan a few years back so we hit it off right away talking about all our teaching experiences (Matt and Lisa met each other while teaching too). It really is so nice to have another couple to be friends with. I like all our single friends too but it's just nice in an unexplainable way.
The other cool thing about them is that Lisa works as a director for a local language college and wants me to do some photography for them! Apparently they are in great need of a new look for their school and publications so I may have some more stuff coming my way which is super exciting.
Other than that, I've just been busy working at Thomson Reuters again. Today I almost went nuts though trying to work with one of the website developers. It's really hard being in this position sometimes because I know zilch about web design/maintenance. I'm learning though and hopefully making myself an invaluable employee! I've been told that they want me there for atleast 4 weeks (which is good) but let's hope it's more. I think I like being there and it's nice working with/near Jeremy too.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
You mean, it's not the end of the world?
Thanks for everyone's understanding and encouragement regarding my job at Mission Australia. I finished there yesterday and I am so glad to be gone. I don't know what to say except that I am sure, without a doubt, that this is the right decision for me.
There are lots of reasons adding that make me so confident in that decision. Some of it has to do with the professionalism and the personalities at work there, some of it has to do with the kind of work I was doing, but in the end the most confirming moment was on that last day's lunch break. I was talking with several people with whom I was working with and for the first time they really opened up about how they felt about their work--and everyone wanted to leave. When those still in the job look at you with a mix of excitement and jealousy about your future, that's not really a good sign. I don't think I need to rehash what they said but it was enough to confirm what I had already suspected.
But I'm gone now and they gave me such a wonderful going away party. I really didn't expect it and truly felt like I didn't deserve it but they showed me that even in my one week there, I had won their appreciation and respect and that friendships--however infantile--had been made. The bought me cupcakes, gave me a card and sent me emails to wish me luck in the pursuit of my dreams. There was so much grace in what they did. They could have easily been angry or bitter about the whole thing but they weren't. They were kind and loving and because I got that response, I feel even more confident in my decision. I really do feel like I did what was right and it seems that by putting some good integrity into the world, the world gave me a little love back.
After leaving work for the last time, I went on to have the most wonderful day I've had in weeks. I happend upon an amazing promotion by one of Sydney's celebrity-preferred salons which allows me to have a massage, a consultation, a coloring, and a cut by a senior stylist all for $140 (which oh my God, I need so bad--birthday money from Mom and Grandma at work here!), I found a cheap and intriguing book to pass the time with, and I met Jeremy and his co-workers in the park for some delicious Malaysian food at the Syndey Food Fesitval Night Noodle Market. And when we came home, I went to bed at 8:30 and got my first full night of sleep in weeks.
I feel relieved and happy again. I feel total peace about the whole thing and I really am excited about what's around the corner. I talked with the temp agency this morning too and it looks like Thomson Reuters is really excited to have me back (I was temping there before Mission Australia) and they want me to start on Friday this week. But not only that, they are also going to increase my work days from three to four per week which is good news too because we'll need the money.
I've also had some really great feed back from Sydney Tall Ships about the photos I did a couple weeks ago. They were so happy with them that they intend to use several of them on their website, publications and at their booth in Circular Quay (I'll give you a link when I know they are up) and they invited me back to do more photos and bring Jeremy along too. So, Sunday night we were off for a BBQ cruise just! It was really fun and so great to be out and enjoying the beautiful summer weather. This experience has given me lots of confidence and I feel prepared to really make an attempt of photography as a professional. Jeremy and I have been talking about it a bit and we've decided that until I get my new residency visa, I'll keep doing it for free. Once I'm a resident, I'll apply for a business number and make something happen. But I'm excited--really excited!--about seeing my real dreams happen!
And with regard to my visa, we're still drumming up background checks (there are a lot to be done). But I've got almost everyone of them in process at the moment and I'm getting the rest of my application done too. Since I don't start again at Thomson until Friday, I'll have tomorrow to clean and write my statement which will of course, be a joy.
Which also reminds me that this weekend we will be hosting our official house warming party. I wish you all could be there as I won't know more half of the people coming (they're Jeremy's friends) and there should be photos of that coming early next week.
As you can see, I'm busy and a lot of things are happening at the moment, but I feel like I've been freed and I'm extremely happy. And that's a very good thing.
There are lots of reasons adding that make me so confident in that decision. Some of it has to do with the professionalism and the personalities at work there, some of it has to do with the kind of work I was doing, but in the end the most confirming moment was on that last day's lunch break. I was talking with several people with whom I was working with and for the first time they really opened up about how they felt about their work--and everyone wanted to leave. When those still in the job look at you with a mix of excitement and jealousy about your future, that's not really a good sign. I don't think I need to rehash what they said but it was enough to confirm what I had already suspected.
But I'm gone now and they gave me such a wonderful going away party. I really didn't expect it and truly felt like I didn't deserve it but they showed me that even in my one week there, I had won their appreciation and respect and that friendships--however infantile--had been made. The bought me cupcakes, gave me a card and sent me emails to wish me luck in the pursuit of my dreams. There was so much grace in what they did. They could have easily been angry or bitter about the whole thing but they weren't. They were kind and loving and because I got that response, I feel even more confident in my decision. I really do feel like I did what was right and it seems that by putting some good integrity into the world, the world gave me a little love back.
After leaving work for the last time, I went on to have the most wonderful day I've had in weeks. I happend upon an amazing promotion by one of Sydney's celebrity-preferred salons which allows me to have a massage, a consultation, a coloring, and a cut by a senior stylist all for $140 (which oh my God, I need so bad--birthday money from Mom and Grandma at work here!), I found a cheap and intriguing book to pass the time with, and I met Jeremy and his co-workers in the park for some delicious Malaysian food at the Syndey Food Fesitval Night Noodle Market. And when we came home, I went to bed at 8:30 and got my first full night of sleep in weeks.
I feel relieved and happy again. I feel total peace about the whole thing and I really am excited about what's around the corner. I talked with the temp agency this morning too and it looks like Thomson Reuters is really excited to have me back (I was temping there before Mission Australia) and they want me to start on Friday this week. But not only that, they are also going to increase my work days from three to four per week which is good news too because we'll need the money.
I've also had some really great feed back from Sydney Tall Ships about the photos I did a couple weeks ago. They were so happy with them that they intend to use several of them on their website, publications and at their booth in Circular Quay (I'll give you a link when I know they are up) and they invited me back to do more photos and bring Jeremy along too. So, Sunday night we were off for a BBQ cruise just! It was really fun and so great to be out and enjoying the beautiful summer weather. This experience has given me lots of confidence and I feel prepared to really make an attempt of photography as a professional. Jeremy and I have been talking about it a bit and we've decided that until I get my new residency visa, I'll keep doing it for free. Once I'm a resident, I'll apply for a business number and make something happen. But I'm excited--really excited!--about seeing my real dreams happen!
And with regard to my visa, we're still drumming up background checks (there are a lot to be done). But I've got almost everyone of them in process at the moment and I'm getting the rest of my application done too. Since I don't start again at Thomson until Friday, I'll have tomorrow to clean and write my statement which will of course, be a joy.
Which also reminds me that this weekend we will be hosting our official house warming party. I wish you all could be there as I won't know more half of the people coming (they're Jeremy's friends) and there should be photos of that coming early next week.
As you can see, I'm busy and a lot of things are happening at the moment, but I feel like I've been freed and I'm extremely happy. And that's a very good thing.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
The Confessions of a Mid-Night Blogger
It's 3 am here and I'm up and wide awake.
A lot happened this week which I don't care to go too much into detail about but to say the least, I made a mistake accepting the job at Mission Australia. It really wasn't the right job for me. I was fully aware of what the job entailed when I accepted but I knew after just one day in it that it really wasn't going to be a good fit. By the end of the week, I found myself crying in the bathroom and full of anxiety about being there and that was a good sign to me that no, this feeling wasn't really going to just go away and no, I shouldn't stay in a job where I have to steal away during my lunch break to cry in the bathroom. And when I was just about to leave for work Friday morning and couldn't stop crying because I felt so much unease about the job, I knew I would have to quit.
So I did. Thankfully, my temp agency has been understanding and my supervisor at Mission was understanding as well. I was really quite upset and worried that by quitting I would be destroying my working relationship with the temp agency as well as Mission's working relationship with the temp agency, but it appears that everyone came out of it unscathed and the temp agency still wants to place me in jobs--which I am grateful for. I'm quitting this job with nothing else lined up but in complete faith that there really is a better job for me out there.
Accepting the job had a lot to do with the building pressure to work full time, pay back Jeremy's parents, buy plane tickets to go home so I can see my grandma, and start contributing to our home expenses. It probably seems ludicrous to most people that I would quit a full time job when I have these things weighing on my mind and my bank account, but to me, the more immediate and important problem to solve was that I couldn't be happy in that role. In the end, no amount of financial independence can compensate for misery. In the end, the right thing to do was spare Mission their time and money so that they could put someone in my role that really wanted to be there, bring my humble apology to the temp agency without expectation of any further employment through them, and to honor myself as an individual with feelings, passions, dreams, and skills, worthy of a job that I enjoy doing.
God, that was a lot to take in for one week. Lots of crying has been done over this; my eyes hurt. But I feel better and I feel better even as I type this. But I must say, I feel really embarrassed about the whole situation and I fear that I've let people down, and that fear makes me feel guilty. I am lucky to have the most wonderful support from Jeremy who maybe doesn't understand entirely why the job wasn't right for me but does understand that I can't stay in any position that affects me so. If you don't agree with my decision, I can understand why but please just don't say anything about it to me. I am embarrassed enough as it is and I don't think I can take the criticism right now. But if you too have ever made a mistake, tried to do the right thing and lived to tell the tale, please pass on a friendly word of encouragement. I need to get some sleep and may need to keep working at Mission until Thursday next week--all words of encouragement will be helpful.
My parting thoughts: at the end of the day, I have to do what's best for me. I ran the risk of creating one ugly SNAFU by quitting (thankfully, I didn't--) but even so, I know that life goes on after each mistake. I have messed things up royally before and lived to tell the tale--I'll live to tell this one too. And that's how it is.
A lot happened this week which I don't care to go too much into detail about but to say the least, I made a mistake accepting the job at Mission Australia. It really wasn't the right job for me. I was fully aware of what the job entailed when I accepted but I knew after just one day in it that it really wasn't going to be a good fit. By the end of the week, I found myself crying in the bathroom and full of anxiety about being there and that was a good sign to me that no, this feeling wasn't really going to just go away and no, I shouldn't stay in a job where I have to steal away during my lunch break to cry in the bathroom. And when I was just about to leave for work Friday morning and couldn't stop crying because I felt so much unease about the job, I knew I would have to quit.
So I did. Thankfully, my temp agency has been understanding and my supervisor at Mission was understanding as well. I was really quite upset and worried that by quitting I would be destroying my working relationship with the temp agency as well as Mission's working relationship with the temp agency, but it appears that everyone came out of it unscathed and the temp agency still wants to place me in jobs--which I am grateful for. I'm quitting this job with nothing else lined up but in complete faith that there really is a better job for me out there.
Accepting the job had a lot to do with the building pressure to work full time, pay back Jeremy's parents, buy plane tickets to go home so I can see my grandma, and start contributing to our home expenses. It probably seems ludicrous to most people that I would quit a full time job when I have these things weighing on my mind and my bank account, but to me, the more immediate and important problem to solve was that I couldn't be happy in that role. In the end, no amount of financial independence can compensate for misery. In the end, the right thing to do was spare Mission their time and money so that they could put someone in my role that really wanted to be there, bring my humble apology to the temp agency without expectation of any further employment through them, and to honor myself as an individual with feelings, passions, dreams, and skills, worthy of a job that I enjoy doing.
God, that was a lot to take in for one week. Lots of crying has been done over this; my eyes hurt. But I feel better and I feel better even as I type this. But I must say, I feel really embarrassed about the whole situation and I fear that I've let people down, and that fear makes me feel guilty. I am lucky to have the most wonderful support from Jeremy who maybe doesn't understand entirely why the job wasn't right for me but does understand that I can't stay in any position that affects me so. If you don't agree with my decision, I can understand why but please just don't say anything about it to me. I am embarrassed enough as it is and I don't think I can take the criticism right now. But if you too have ever made a mistake, tried to do the right thing and lived to tell the tale, please pass on a friendly word of encouragement. I need to get some sleep and may need to keep working at Mission until Thursday next week--all words of encouragement will be helpful.
My parting thoughts: at the end of the day, I have to do what's best for me. I ran the risk of creating one ugly SNAFU by quitting (thankfully, I didn't--) but even so, I know that life goes on after each mistake. I have messed things up royally before and lived to tell the tale--I'll live to tell this one too. And that's how it is.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
A little note from this side.
It seems that this blog is harder and harder to keep regular with these days. It's much easier to write everyday when you're traveling and seeing interesting things around every corner. For the past two years or so this thing has been primarily about travel but I'm wondering if it needs a new direction as I'm doing very little traveling these days. It's time to make money not spend money. If you have an idea, please share it.
In other news, I will finally start my new job at Mission Australia on Monday (tomorrow) which is super exciting and a little bit intimidating. This is pretty much my first permanent role in a professional capacity that I've applied for and won. (I don't count teaching in Korea because it was hardly professional. More like a teacher-monkey role.) I want to do my best from the very day and make a good impression within the first week.
As I left Thomson Reuters, I was feeling pretty good though. My supervisor there was telling me how badly she wanted to me to stay and even offered to scout out some permanent work for me if I wanted. However, it was a little too late for that and I had to refuse her offer. But it was really nice to be told how valuable you are and to be talked about as if the company can't afford to lose you--a temp!! I hope that the folks at my new job will be able to see the same things those at Thomson Reuters saw in me.
I also found out on Thursday that uncle's girlfriend (who's been with him for so long is practically an aunt now) has been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. That means two people at home are now battling with cancer. Apparently this type responds well to chemo and radiation but it's scary none the less. I've head that Gina will be going to the doctor's this week in Wenatchee so please keep her in your prayers along with my grandma Rosie.
My grandma seems to be doing well though and is in high spirits. The doctors have said that they don't want to operate as she had a surgery about 6 months ago and they feel it would be too soon, so they're just going to monitor the tumors and adjust their treatment to the rate of growth.
Please continue to pray for her and please pray for my uncle Don too. I'm sure he's having a difficult time dealing with his girlfriend/wife and his mom facing cancer at the same time.
And thank you everyone for your supportive comments and emails. I really appreciate it.
I'll be back again after I start my new job. :)
In other news, I will finally start my new job at Mission Australia on Monday (tomorrow) which is super exciting and a little bit intimidating. This is pretty much my first permanent role in a professional capacity that I've applied for and won. (I don't count teaching in Korea because it was hardly professional. More like a teacher-monkey role.) I want to do my best from the very day and make a good impression within the first week.
As I left Thomson Reuters, I was feeling pretty good though. My supervisor there was telling me how badly she wanted to me to stay and even offered to scout out some permanent work for me if I wanted. However, it was a little too late for that and I had to refuse her offer. But it was really nice to be told how valuable you are and to be talked about as if the company can't afford to lose you--a temp!! I hope that the folks at my new job will be able to see the same things those at Thomson Reuters saw in me.
I also found out on Thursday that uncle's girlfriend (who's been with him for so long is practically an aunt now) has been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. That means two people at home are now battling with cancer. Apparently this type responds well to chemo and radiation but it's scary none the less. I've head that Gina will be going to the doctor's this week in Wenatchee so please keep her in your prayers along with my grandma Rosie.
My grandma seems to be doing well though and is in high spirits. The doctors have said that they don't want to operate as she had a surgery about 6 months ago and they feel it would be too soon, so they're just going to monitor the tumors and adjust their treatment to the rate of growth.
Please continue to pray for her and please pray for my uncle Don too. I'm sure he's having a difficult time dealing with his girlfriend/wife and his mom facing cancer at the same time.
And thank you everyone for your supportive comments and emails. I really appreciate it.
I'll be back again after I start my new job. :)
Monday, October 5, 2009
A four-day birthday extravaganza!!
Today was my birthday and I am officially 25 years old. Life seems to just fly by these days but luckily it went slow enough for me to enjoy a long weekend full of fun.
First, on Thursday I received a formal job offer for permanent employment with Mission Australia here in Sydney. I can't tell you how happy I am to know that I will have full time work, a way to save money for plane tickets home, assurance that Jeremy and I can go back to school and not worry about money, and that we'll have a bit extra to finally enjoy all the exciting things to do in Sydney. It was a little hairy trying to negotiate a exit/start time between my current temp position and my new full time one but it was all worked out by lunch time and on Monday the 12th, I'll start my new job! At Mission, I'll be doing mostly invoicing work in just a general administrative temp role. And just to add more smiles to my day, I also found out that along with the job offer, the position I applied for was re-classified and the salary was increased by $5,000 p.a.!! It felt like two gifts in one. Perfect timing for my birthday.
Second, on Friday I kicked off myf irst professional photography gig taking photos for a Tall Ship cruise company in Sydney Harbour. The vessel was a 1922 tall ship built in Denmark to haul grain to and from the frozen country of Greenland. It was truly a wonderful opportunity and I had the best time. Okay, so it rained a little and the weather was less than perfect but the people were nice, I was given unlimited drinks (though I think I only had two) and I was invited to partake in some very good bbq! At the end of the day, I had some fantastic photos to give back to the company and they in turn offered to let me come back for another cruise--a pleasure one, that is--as I had offered them my services for free. It really was a great day out on the water and I can't wait to go back and take some more photos. Visit their website here.
(Since most of my photos were of the patrons, I decided I would only repost a couple photos from pieces of the ship and one of the crew--I don't think he'll mind.)
Isn't that a beautiful old rope??
But the day wasn't over. When I returned home Friday night, I found a beautiful bouquet of orange and pink tulips (my absolute FAVOURITE flower!) on the bed and a sweet hand made card from Jeremy. Is this guy amazing or what?! That evening we sat down to watch Star Trek (the new one) together and I must say, though I was aprehensive, the movie moved me to tears within 10 minutes. Either I'm just a hyper-sap or these movie producers are some smart cookies--who seperates love by heroic death at the beginning of a movie? I think this is how they planned to get the women in to it...
My tuplips. :) We were so lucky to find that vase. It was marked down to $25 from $85! Wow!
Saturday was a very wet and rainy day so we didn't do too much other than our weekly grocery shopping. Jeremy broke the computer (again) and had to re-install Linux and Windows (again). It was a painful experience for both of us. I was bored and he was a little frustrated. But it's all back together again and hopefully problem free for a whiel.
Sunday was our real outing day. In sticking with birthday tradition, I suggested we go to the zoo because I've been doing it for my birthday almost every year for the past 6 years. However, the rain was still pretty bad and we opted for the aquarium instead. Jeremy wasn't quite convinced that he would like it but we both ended up having a great time. We saw tons of sharks, stone fish, jelly fish, clown fish, lots of other tropical fish, platypus, a giant sting ray, dugongs, and three giant Pacific logger-head turtles! I think the turtles wer my favourite. I was quite surprised by how small the platypus actually is (I expected something of beaver porportions) but it was actually about a foot long.
The Platypus
Beautiful tropical fish. I've seen things like this snorkeling but it never comes out right in photo with those disposable underwater cameras...
I've decided that this buck-toothed dugong kinda looks like a dork but I like him anyway.
This was about a 3 meter wide giant sting ray!
Turtles! In Buddhism, turtles are a symbol of wisdom, and when you think about how old these guys live to be (some up to 150 years), it's easy to understand why.
Ah!! Sharks!!
What kind of goofy sea creature is that??
After the aquarium, we considered looking for some tasty food and ended up in the Lindt Chocolat Cafe! What a surprise!!! :) We couldn't really afford to waste our lunch money (or our appetites) on all the goodies inside but did agree to buy a few truffles and share them on our way to McDonald's (or Macca's as the Australians call it). And can I just say, Lindt truffles are little balls of heaven for purchase. They have been my favourite for years and Sunday I got to try a few new flavours: peanut butter (the best!), peppermint (very cleansing), and cookies and cream (over the top sweet).
After eating McDonald's in the park all the while trying to fight off Seagulls and Ibis, we headed over to the Latin Dance Fiesta--a free festival put on by Darling Harbour. It was so much fun and I kept thinking that Courtney should have been there! It took some convincing to get Jeremy to dance but he eventually did, and we swayed with the crowd to some very energizing Venezuelan music by a band called Mi Latino. Ah, it was wonderful! I miss that kind of culture. And we ate some DELICIOUS churros too which was a new experience for Jeremy as I am a repeat offender. :) After the Venezuelan music and the churro episode, we hung around for one more act: a choreographed Columbian dance group from Brisbane that put on a good show.
Mi Latino. I wonder if they are on iTunes...
The super cool Columbian dancers. Death was a pretty funny character. :)
In the end, our feet got the best of us and we headed home for another good meal: curry vegetables. (Can you see that this weekend was full of good food??) And to finish the night off, we watched The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. Jeremy hadn't seen it yet and we just started reading the books out loud together before bed so it was a fun little continuation of our daily routine.
This morning, however, was my real birthday, and despite Jeremy's claim that he would be making me breakfast in bed, I found myself editting away on photos at 11:00 am while he continued to sleep. So much for breakfast. Hehe. But of course I didn't mind. He had done so much for me already. When he did eventually wake up, he made me a bowl of yogurt with fresh raspberries and some warmed up banana bread with butter. (If you didn't think he was amazing before, you should be convinced by now.)
After breakfast, I called my family and talked with Mom and Dad for a bit and Jeremy got to meet my dad for the first time on the phone (probably a bit awkward for both of them) and then I headed off to get a pedicure (my present to myself). I love getting my toes painted and my caluses shaved off. Plus, I secretly love catching up on celebrity gossip in all those trashy magazines--it's a guilty pleasure that I only allow myself while getting my toes or nails done. :)
And to finish the day off, we took a walk through the rain, back up to King Street, and ate dinner at Guzman Y Gomez--Sydney's premier Mexican take-away restaurant. I guess you can say it's more authentic than Taco Bell but when you gre up eating fresh tamales from a little Mexican lady or cheap tacos and sangrias from the taco truck, Guzman Y Gomez is a little... sanitized. Back at home we watched another episode of one of our favourite shows The World's Greenest Homes and we settled down for another early night--there's work tomorrow!
I was a lucky girl to not only have had a birthday on a public holiday but to have also had a wonderful boyfriend to spend it with. I am so blessed. Last year I spent my birthday trying to stay awake for a 3 am flight from Kygyzstan to Turkey but I think this year's more than made up for it. By something like 3 times.
So, adieu 24! Bonjour 25!
First, on Thursday I received a formal job offer for permanent employment with Mission Australia here in Sydney. I can't tell you how happy I am to know that I will have full time work, a way to save money for plane tickets home, assurance that Jeremy and I can go back to school and not worry about money, and that we'll have a bit extra to finally enjoy all the exciting things to do in Sydney. It was a little hairy trying to negotiate a exit/start time between my current temp position and my new full time one but it was all worked out by lunch time and on Monday the 12th, I'll start my new job! At Mission, I'll be doing mostly invoicing work in just a general administrative temp role. And just to add more smiles to my day, I also found out that along with the job offer, the position I applied for was re-classified and the salary was increased by $5,000 p.a.!! It felt like two gifts in one. Perfect timing for my birthday.
Second, on Friday I kicked off myf irst professional photography gig taking photos for a Tall Ship cruise company in Sydney Harbour. The vessel was a 1922 tall ship built in Denmark to haul grain to and from the frozen country of Greenland. It was truly a wonderful opportunity and I had the best time. Okay, so it rained a little and the weather was less than perfect but the people were nice, I was given unlimited drinks (though I think I only had two) and I was invited to partake in some very good bbq! At the end of the day, I had some fantastic photos to give back to the company and they in turn offered to let me come back for another cruise--a pleasure one, that is--as I had offered them my services for free. It really was a great day out on the water and I can't wait to go back and take some more photos. Visit their website here.
(Since most of my photos were of the patrons, I decided I would only repost a couple photos from pieces of the ship and one of the crew--I don't think he'll mind.)
Isn't that a beautiful old rope??
But the day wasn't over. When I returned home Friday night, I found a beautiful bouquet of orange and pink tulips (my absolute FAVOURITE flower!) on the bed and a sweet hand made card from Jeremy. Is this guy amazing or what?! That evening we sat down to watch Star Trek (the new one) together and I must say, though I was aprehensive, the movie moved me to tears within 10 minutes. Either I'm just a hyper-sap or these movie producers are some smart cookies--who seperates love by heroic death at the beginning of a movie? I think this is how they planned to get the women in to it...
My tuplips. :) We were so lucky to find that vase. It was marked down to $25 from $85! Wow!
Saturday was a very wet and rainy day so we didn't do too much other than our weekly grocery shopping. Jeremy broke the computer (again) and had to re-install Linux and Windows (again). It was a painful experience for both of us. I was bored and he was a little frustrated. But it's all back together again and hopefully problem free for a whiel.
Sunday was our real outing day. In sticking with birthday tradition, I suggested we go to the zoo because I've been doing it for my birthday almost every year for the past 6 years. However, the rain was still pretty bad and we opted for the aquarium instead. Jeremy wasn't quite convinced that he would like it but we both ended up having a great time. We saw tons of sharks, stone fish, jelly fish, clown fish, lots of other tropical fish, platypus, a giant sting ray, dugongs, and three giant Pacific logger-head turtles! I think the turtles wer my favourite. I was quite surprised by how small the platypus actually is (I expected something of beaver porportions) but it was actually about a foot long.
The Platypus
Beautiful tropical fish. I've seen things like this snorkeling but it never comes out right in photo with those disposable underwater cameras...
I've decided that this buck-toothed dugong kinda looks like a dork but I like him anyway.
This was about a 3 meter wide giant sting ray!
Turtles! In Buddhism, turtles are a symbol of wisdom, and when you think about how old these guys live to be (some up to 150 years), it's easy to understand why.
Ah!! Sharks!!
What kind of goofy sea creature is that??
After the aquarium, we considered looking for some tasty food and ended up in the Lindt Chocolat Cafe! What a surprise!!! :) We couldn't really afford to waste our lunch money (or our appetites) on all the goodies inside but did agree to buy a few truffles and share them on our way to McDonald's (or Macca's as the Australians call it). And can I just say, Lindt truffles are little balls of heaven for purchase. They have been my favourite for years and Sunday I got to try a few new flavours: peanut butter (the best!), peppermint (very cleansing), and cookies and cream (over the top sweet).
After eating McDonald's in the park all the while trying to fight off Seagulls and Ibis, we headed over to the Latin Dance Fiesta--a free festival put on by Darling Harbour. It was so much fun and I kept thinking that Courtney should have been there! It took some convincing to get Jeremy to dance but he eventually did, and we swayed with the crowd to some very energizing Venezuelan music by a band called Mi Latino. Ah, it was wonderful! I miss that kind of culture. And we ate some DELICIOUS churros too which was a new experience for Jeremy as I am a repeat offender. :) After the Venezuelan music and the churro episode, we hung around for one more act: a choreographed Columbian dance group from Brisbane that put on a good show.
Mi Latino. I wonder if they are on iTunes...
The super cool Columbian dancers. Death was a pretty funny character. :)
In the end, our feet got the best of us and we headed home for another good meal: curry vegetables. (Can you see that this weekend was full of good food??) And to finish the night off, we watched The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. Jeremy hadn't seen it yet and we just started reading the books out loud together before bed so it was a fun little continuation of our daily routine.
This morning, however, was my real birthday, and despite Jeremy's claim that he would be making me breakfast in bed, I found myself editting away on photos at 11:00 am while he continued to sleep. So much for breakfast. Hehe. But of course I didn't mind. He had done so much for me already. When he did eventually wake up, he made me a bowl of yogurt with fresh raspberries and some warmed up banana bread with butter. (If you didn't think he was amazing before, you should be convinced by now.)
After breakfast, I called my family and talked with Mom and Dad for a bit and Jeremy got to meet my dad for the first time on the phone (probably a bit awkward for both of them) and then I headed off to get a pedicure (my present to myself). I love getting my toes painted and my caluses shaved off. Plus, I secretly love catching up on celebrity gossip in all those trashy magazines--it's a guilty pleasure that I only allow myself while getting my toes or nails done. :)
And to finish the day off, we took a walk through the rain, back up to King Street, and ate dinner at Guzman Y Gomez--Sydney's premier Mexican take-away restaurant. I guess you can say it's more authentic than Taco Bell but when you gre up eating fresh tamales from a little Mexican lady or cheap tacos and sangrias from the taco truck, Guzman Y Gomez is a little... sanitized. Back at home we watched another episode of one of our favourite shows The World's Greenest Homes and we settled down for another early night--there's work tomorrow!
I was a lucky girl to not only have had a birthday on a public holiday but to have also had a wonderful boyfriend to spend it with. I am so blessed. Last year I spent my birthday trying to stay awake for a 3 am flight from Kygyzstan to Turkey but I think this year's more than made up for it. By something like 3 times.
So, adieu 24! Bonjour 25!
Friday, September 25, 2009
Tales from the Seven Seas
Update on my Grandma
A few more bits of bad news: my grandma's doctors have returned with test results. The prognosis: a Granulosa-Theca Cell tumor. Treatment for this kind of cancer is almost always surgery however my grandma just had sugery about 6 months ago to remove tumors and her doctors don't think she can handle another so soon. So, they'll be doing more tests this week to find out how fast the tumor is growing. Please keep praying for us.
A Temp-ting Opportunity
I've been working this week at ThomsonReuters (which is where Jeremy works) and have found myself more challenged than I previously expected. I really wasn't sure what I going in to when I said yes to the position because it was just described as "administrative assistant" but I've since learned that I'm doing quite a bit of web work and html coding. FYI: I don't do web work or html. No better time to learn though, right?! It's been a challenging week as my supervisor wasn't really ready to train me once I started and then she had to unexpectedly leave halfway through my second day and I ended up doing the entire third day on my own. Wahhh! It was a bit stressful and extremely slow going because I was trying to figure everything out on my own. I had angry phone calls from clients who we disatisfied with their listing and wanted it fixed (ha, that was fun to figure out!), we ran out of purchase orders, I found several inaccuracies in our web holdings, and I ran out of work all together on Wendnesday. I keep repeating in my head, "Sink or swim. Sink or swim. Damn it, I'm gonna swim!" I'm glad to say that I did figure it out and somehow managed to work through nearly everything I had to do yesterday (even if it was slow going). Let's hope next week goes better!
The Future's so Bright...
This week I had an interview for a managerial position with Scene to Believe which operates Santa Photography kiosks in malls throughout November and December. Much to my delight, the interview went really well and I feel confident I'll get the job. It'll be full time, 6 day a week work managing a team of about 5 people and it should be fun! I'm super excited about the opportunity to be working in photography even if I'm not going to be the photographer. :) I'm also supposed to hear back from Mission Australia about my application for employment with them--I hope that works out too! I would be full time for atleast the next 6 months but I imagine that would be extended as soon as I get my temporary visa approved...
Will I be able to shop with this? Speaking of visas, I haven't said it yet just because I've been busy and still trying to wrap my head around it, but Jeremy's parents loaned us the money to pay for the visa application and the taxes. It really is such a blessing and has taken quite a bit of worry off our minds. We've already been talking with the immigration office about what we need and today (assuming I'm on top of things!) I'll be ordering my background checks, finishing the application, contacting our references, and starting my statement regarding our relationship. There is A LOT of work to do but I hope that we can get it all in by the end of the month--wouldn't that be great?
Visitors
A couple weeks ago, we had Jeremy's dad over for the night while he was in Sydney for some reunions. It was really great to see him and spend some time catching up and eating delicious food! He took us out to a great restaurant in Sydney for what is undoubtably the BEST meal I've ever had. Wow. Amazing. It was also pretty cool to hear his dad call me his son's "fiance." I mean, we haven't been referring to ourselves as engaged but I guess that is essentially what we are. It's just wonderful to be accepted as a part of his family, to be seen as a serious couple, and to feel like this life we want to make together has already begun. What an exciting time!
Free Photos!
I recently posted an add on Gumtree (the Australian CraigsList equivilant) offering my photography skills for free in order to get some new stuff into my portfolio as well as some valuable contacts. Man, I feel like a stinking genious! I have has such a HUGE response from people: models, landscapers, athletes, people graduating, mothers who want pictures of their kids, local artists, musicians, and the best one is for a local business man who runs some city cruises on his 1918 colonial-style ship! Ahhh!! I am SO EXCITED about all of this! My first shoot is tomorrow with a couple of girls who need some new modeling shots for their portfolios and then I have some more set up for next weekend. This is going to be great. Honestly. I'm getting good exposure, going to have my stuff displayed on websites, making some good, professional contacts, building good references, getting some free stuff, and having fun! I'm also getting some free training and experience with professionals who need assistants. I seriously feel so proud of myself for coming up with such a good idea. I can't say all of the responses have been good though... I have had a few requests for porn photos and such. Ick. Even though I got a good response for awesome opportunities, I also got a good reminder that there are lots of sick people out there on the internet... Hopefully I'll be posting some cool photos in the near future.
When the Dust Settles
I'm not sure if you've heard (Australia is pretty removed from everything) but two days ago we had a giant dust storm roll through the city, leaving the entire place covered in orange and red particles. It was so strange... Jeremy called me to the door shortly after we work up telling me that everything was orange outside. And sure enough, it was. The whole city was covered in the dust which had blown across the state from South Australia and south-west New South Whales where a major drought has left the red earth prime for a big gust of wind. It all cleared up by mid afternoon but for the majority of the day it felt like a scene from War of the Worlds. You better believe that car wash companies are making big sales this weekend!! But aside from Sydney's crazy dust storm, there was also some wild weather elsewhere in Australia. That night, there were wind storms, bush fires, tornadoes, earthquakes (especially odd since Australia isn't really on top of any fault lines and doesn't have any volcanoes), thunderstorms, and massive rain fall. What a crazy planet!!
Here's a photo of the street outside from the orange morning. Unfortunately--of all days!--I had to work Wednesday morning and wasn't able to go out and take some really good photos of the crazy weather. But this gives you an idea of what it was like.
A few more bits of bad news: my grandma's doctors have returned with test results. The prognosis: a Granulosa-Theca Cell tumor. Treatment for this kind of cancer is almost always surgery however my grandma just had sugery about 6 months ago to remove tumors and her doctors don't think she can handle another so soon. So, they'll be doing more tests this week to find out how fast the tumor is growing. Please keep praying for us.
A Temp-ting Opportunity
I've been working this week at ThomsonReuters (which is where Jeremy works) and have found myself more challenged than I previously expected. I really wasn't sure what I going in to when I said yes to the position because it was just described as "administrative assistant" but I've since learned that I'm doing quite a bit of web work and html coding. FYI: I don't do web work or html. No better time to learn though, right?! It's been a challenging week as my supervisor wasn't really ready to train me once I started and then she had to unexpectedly leave halfway through my second day and I ended up doing the entire third day on my own. Wahhh! It was a bit stressful and extremely slow going because I was trying to figure everything out on my own. I had angry phone calls from clients who we disatisfied with their listing and wanted it fixed (ha, that was fun to figure out!), we ran out of purchase orders, I found several inaccuracies in our web holdings, and I ran out of work all together on Wendnesday. I keep repeating in my head, "Sink or swim. Sink or swim. Damn it, I'm gonna swim!" I'm glad to say that I did figure it out and somehow managed to work through nearly everything I had to do yesterday (even if it was slow going). Let's hope next week goes better!
The Future's so Bright...
This week I had an interview for a managerial position with Scene to Believe which operates Santa Photography kiosks in malls throughout November and December. Much to my delight, the interview went really well and I feel confident I'll get the job. It'll be full time, 6 day a week work managing a team of about 5 people and it should be fun! I'm super excited about the opportunity to be working in photography even if I'm not going to be the photographer. :) I'm also supposed to hear back from Mission Australia about my application for employment with them--I hope that works out too! I would be full time for atleast the next 6 months but I imagine that would be extended as soon as I get my temporary visa approved...
Will I be able to shop with this? Speaking of visas, I haven't said it yet just because I've been busy and still trying to wrap my head around it, but Jeremy's parents loaned us the money to pay for the visa application and the taxes. It really is such a blessing and has taken quite a bit of worry off our minds. We've already been talking with the immigration office about what we need and today (assuming I'm on top of things!) I'll be ordering my background checks, finishing the application, contacting our references, and starting my statement regarding our relationship. There is A LOT of work to do but I hope that we can get it all in by the end of the month--wouldn't that be great?
Visitors
A couple weeks ago, we had Jeremy's dad over for the night while he was in Sydney for some reunions. It was really great to see him and spend some time catching up and eating delicious food! He took us out to a great restaurant in Sydney for what is undoubtably the BEST meal I've ever had. Wow. Amazing. It was also pretty cool to hear his dad call me his son's "fiance." I mean, we haven't been referring to ourselves as engaged but I guess that is essentially what we are. It's just wonderful to be accepted as a part of his family, to be seen as a serious couple, and to feel like this life we want to make together has already begun. What an exciting time!
Free Photos!
I recently posted an add on Gumtree (the Australian CraigsList equivilant) offering my photography skills for free in order to get some new stuff into my portfolio as well as some valuable contacts. Man, I feel like a stinking genious! I have has such a HUGE response from people: models, landscapers, athletes, people graduating, mothers who want pictures of their kids, local artists, musicians, and the best one is for a local business man who runs some city cruises on his 1918 colonial-style ship! Ahhh!! I am SO EXCITED about all of this! My first shoot is tomorrow with a couple of girls who need some new modeling shots for their portfolios and then I have some more set up for next weekend. This is going to be great. Honestly. I'm getting good exposure, going to have my stuff displayed on websites, making some good, professional contacts, building good references, getting some free stuff, and having fun! I'm also getting some free training and experience with professionals who need assistants. I seriously feel so proud of myself for coming up with such a good idea. I can't say all of the responses have been good though... I have had a few requests for porn photos and such. Ick. Even though I got a good response for awesome opportunities, I also got a good reminder that there are lots of sick people out there on the internet... Hopefully I'll be posting some cool photos in the near future.
When the Dust Settles
I'm not sure if you've heard (Australia is pretty removed from everything) but two days ago we had a giant dust storm roll through the city, leaving the entire place covered in orange and red particles. It was so strange... Jeremy called me to the door shortly after we work up telling me that everything was orange outside. And sure enough, it was. The whole city was covered in the dust which had blown across the state from South Australia and south-west New South Whales where a major drought has left the red earth prime for a big gust of wind. It all cleared up by mid afternoon but for the majority of the day it felt like a scene from War of the Worlds. You better believe that car wash companies are making big sales this weekend!! But aside from Sydney's crazy dust storm, there was also some wild weather elsewhere in Australia. That night, there were wind storms, bush fires, tornadoes, earthquakes (especially odd since Australia isn't really on top of any fault lines and doesn't have any volcanoes), thunderstorms, and massive rain fall. What a crazy planet!!
Here's a photo of the street outside from the orange morning. Unfortunately--of all days!--I had to work Wednesday morning and wasn't able to go out and take some really good photos of the crazy weather. But this gives you an idea of what it was like.
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