Monday 30 November 2009

Bussing to the beach

I had a wonderful weekend. We hosted a birthday BBQ together with another couple as they have similar dates in their family to ours. This worked out excellent for me as I don't like to invite people to things as I assume that no-one wants to come. Now I could leverage on other peoples popularity.
I could also spend most of the time standing in front of the pedestal fan with the other couples 3 month old son instead of helping with the washing up. A gain in all circumstances.

The weekend was busy enough to keep me from going to much into my own head. My head is a bad neighbourhood that I do not like to go into alone. It takes a very short time for my mind if left unattended to get very negative and really there is very little need to be negative if the sun is out and you can take one bus and get to the beach.

We did fit in some beach time. I love the beach, Mr T, not so much a lover of the beach. His skin doesn't really agree with the sun beating down on it for long periods of time. We have bought a blue beach umbrella for him, but I still feel a little guilty for forcing him to go there as he gets no enjoyment out of it. Actually I don't know anyone from north Australia that really likes the beach that much. Which is funny as the place is littered with beaches with miles and miles of white sand.
But I guess if you have grown up with the beach on your doorstep is not that special. Especially if you can't use it during the summer due to the extreme heat and all the strange animals waiting to sting or eat you.

I can't say I'm that impressed with either snow or moose's. Which would be the only thing I could think that we have as much in northern Europe of as they have of white sand in northern Australia.

Anyway, we bought a Christmas tree. I've been making Christmas decorations to an almost obsessive level. I will show them off when they are all finished.

But now, fish soup for dinner

Friday 27 November 2009

Strange things happens

For most of us there are strange behaviours to be observed in our workplace. I think thought that after almost 10 year in work I have found the strangest one yet.

If someone leaves work early, the whole floor (aprox 200 people) gives them a round of applause.

There is a massive fridge stocked with beer and wine in the office, no-one drinks from it until Friday after the market closes. They also put on huge amount of crisps and nuts. Then it turns into a feeding frenzy.

All of sudden someone will start some random shout, which will be replicated all over the floor. I have yet to find out the reason for the random yelling.

A lot of people are not able to leave their desk all day some days. Not even to go to the bathroom. I can leave my desk whenever I want and I have never thought about how great that is.

Most people here are male, who are either exceptionally quiet, like the guy to my right who have yet to say a word or exceptionally loud like they guy across the desk. He is one of often random shouters. Maybe it’s a Tourette’s thing.

Most of them have very high octane hobbies; dirt bike riding seems very popular, as is snorkelling around with sharks with dead bleeding fish strapped to you.

There seems to be one woman over 40 on the floor. She seems really cool.

There are 8 big TV screens around the office. Right now they are all showing the cricket.

Thursday 26 November 2009

Sweet as buttons

Today is Mr T’s birthday. Happy Birthday Good Looking. I hope you will enjoy it. For dinner we’re having home made burgers and a six pack of Forex gold. That is what I had for my birthday and I think someone is a copy cat. On your birthday you can have what ever you want, it is the birthday law. Mr T even made me a home made ice cream cake; unfortunately I could only eat little of it as not so good with dairy so he got to eat most of it himself.

Anyway, last night I was struggling home with all the presents, I say struggling as I had bought him a dumbbell set that weighed 20 kilos. It’s interesting how heavy 20 kilos are when you have to carry it to and from the buss.

As I was struggling carrying it across the big open space in front of our building (I was seriously considering dumping it there, take Mr T out on the balcony point at it and say – There’s your present, go fetch) two young guys from the building came to my rescue and helped me carrying it all the way home to the front of our apartment. As they where carrying I was chatting away, they where from Brazil, they had been here since January and they attended to the Hillsong Bible College.

We have a lot of students in our building that attend the Hillsong Bible College. You can say whatever you want about modern evangelical churches like Hillsong, but they do turn out some pretty polite students in their early 20:s, there is no way I would have been as considerate a neighbour as a student as they are. I sure as hell would not have lugged someone else’s dumbbells to their house that is for sure.

So I can add to my many blessings the in general very considerate and polite young Brazilians men in my house.

Tuesday 24 November 2009

Crazy and questioning

I’m one of those people who always question my decisions. Did I make the right one, should I have done it differently, where would I be if I had done it this way, that way etc.

Sometimes I wish you could get a book of answers of your life ahead of time such that you would know at the start what the outcome would be. Then I would know if I’m just running away out of fear or if I’m making sensible decisions. People say you should listen to your body. It’s never wrong. But it’s hard when logic says one thing and the gut says another. The funny thing though is that the gut really likes to tell you what it thinks. It’s not ignorable anymore. I will have to make some changes, make sure I live healthier. I can’t ignore it anymore.

Monday 23 November 2009

B'day

My Birthday was last week and it truly made me feel special and loved. I got so many messages, emails, phone calls and presents. It made me feel very honoured that so many people took time and effort to call me and say Congrats on my special day.

I got many wonderfull presents on the day and many more have arrived in the post today, lovely cardigans, books, plates, handbags and last but not least Stocholm themed wiping cloths. Now I can wipe the counter with blueberries.

Thank you to everyone that wished me a happy day. It made me feel very good and appreciated. I am blessed with so many people in my life that seems to think that I'm a good person. Someday might be able to convince even me.

Tuesday 17 November 2009

Tomorrow

Tomorrow is my birthday and I'm suppose to be one year older and wiser. I wonder then how come I seem to get myself in such a frazzle all the time. I get myself wound up and freaked out over every new situation, but then I hate it and get bored when an situation get comfortable and known.

It's like I don't like change, but I really hate it when it's the same.

My sister said that maybe I'm one of those people who can only really do well when they are feeling under a lot of pressure, If I could just learn to maintain my stress level in situations of pressure that would be great.

Now I need new glasses, I've got a migraine today. Maybe that is a sign of getting older.

So, good things about this new place. There are women in this workplace. Not where I sit, but around in the general area and some of them are nice and kind of chat to you a little. That is very nice.

I sit next to a guy that has many toys (boats, cars, motorbikes et) and that likes surfing at dusk. Just when the shark feeds. I reckon he might be just the type that suits working in an investment bank. Expensive hobbies and likes scary stuff.

So that is all. I reckon this first week will be a little tough before I get used to everything again.
I'm slightly scared of everything at the moment, but Mr T says that I'm always like that, and just to put my head down and get one with everything and it shall all be alright in the end.

They are not the KGB...They can not kill me.

Monday 16 November 2009

72 buttons and counting

I've started a new job today. Yes a new one. I started the old one and found that I didn't really like it as much as I had hoped. So now I've started a new one more similar to my old old one in London.

The jury is still out on whether it has been a good decision. I've just come home from my first day and there are some massive differences.

I sit on the trading floor, it's loud and noisy and people everywhere, the phone is ringing almost at all time. The office is very fancy looking. With a kitchen area with a fridge filled with free drinks and big bowls of biscuits and a caffe style ccoffee maker. So all very fancy pantsy..

The funniest thing is the ladies bathroom. You know all those super groomed and well made up city girls that you see around, you know the ones that always still look box fresh at 7 o clock at night. I have always wondered how they do that. Well I know now. They all leave huge make up bags in the bathroom at the office. The whole bathroom is chockers with make up bags and hair straighteners and hair dryers and all sort of things. It's very impressive.

The other funny thing is I have a phone on my desk with 72 buttons on it that flashes my name when someone rings for me.

I have yet to successfully make a phone call on it.

Thursday 12 November 2009

Things that are strange.

Yesterday was my last day at work. I start my new job on Monday. I've spent longer in front of the computer today then I have done when I've been at work. I've spent 12 hours today learning a new programming language.

There is an abundance of great fresh tropical fruit. I buy it and put it in the fridge. And subsequently leave it there until it goes off. I eat chocolate instead.

Since I was my biggest (at 18) I have lost approx 6 dress sizes and almost 20 Kg. When I was my biggest I ate very healthy and exercised 10-14 times a week. Now I exercise a maximum of 3 times a week and I eat mainly anything that is placed in front of me the unhealthier the better.
I can't understand how the maths works.

I hate paper work but really like the way that paper looks when it's stacked.

I really like boxes, but only ones with corners. Round boxes really annoy me.

Wednesday 11 November 2009

Requirements

I read my friends GB:s blog today and at the end of it she talks about what to look for in a partner. In her blog she says that a partner should always make you feel good, happy and whole.

GB and I have discussed this before and I think this is a tall order of requirement for another person to fulfil. By wanting them to make you feel good you are setting them up to fail. This does not mean that you should look for someone that makes you feel like crap, but you need to take responsibility for your own feelings of happiness and wholeness.

I think one must remember that other people’s lives are filled with them. No matter how much someone loves you or you love them they are their own first person. They live their life with a first person narrative. I am the first person in my life and you are in yours. (Maybe this changes when you have children, it seems to) In the same way that I can’t live my life to make you happy and you shouldn’t live yours to make mine a great one.

I think if you need your partner to make you feel good, what if one day you don’t. One day you wake up and you are not happy with where your life is, you still love the other person but the other things that matters are not right. Then you will feel that they have failed you. They have not made you feel good anymore. You might then end up blaming them for your feelings un-goodness and un-wholeness whereas they have not changed at all.

Then again I have no advice on how to find another person or what to look for. I don’t know, all I know is that some people you gel with and if you try to see where they are coming from at all times you are usually alright. Not yelling helps as well.

Monday 9 November 2009

Plastic fantastic


Today on the buss home I sat next to a girl with an Anya Hindmarch "i'm not a plastic bag" bag.

It was made of plastic.

Friday 6 November 2009

Troll News

What is the best part of Friday you say, is it the fact that it’s the end of the working week or the 4 pm beer or could it be the fact that everyone is slightly chirpier on a Friday?
Oh no that is not it. For me the best thing with Fridays occurs at 7.22 in the morning when Woolworths (a big Australian supermarket) shows their weekly Market Update Advertisement.
It’s the funniest thing in the whole world. It’s the buyer of fresh produce at Woolworths that talks about what is the best vegetable and fruit for that week. The funny part is that he sounds like he is reading the financial news. And that he looks a little like a troll. Troll news about fruit sounding like he talks about the .FTSE. How could you beat that?

Have a look for yourself.
Troll News from Wollies

Wednesday 4 November 2009

faffing

So i've been faffing about loading data and that takes some time. So to entertain myself I kept pressing the next blog button on my blogger dashboard. First there where about 15 blogs in languages I can't read. Then it was a teenage angst blog about doing homework and being grounded...

and then I found this one.....things I don't understand.

There are some absolutely great statements here. I particulary like number 35

The flight leaves at 6 a.m.
This seems like an awkward time for an adventure


keeps me giggling

Heat

Yesterday Sydney was hot, hot and hot. 37 Degrees in the middle of day with a mild breeze. I went out for a walk at lunch time and it was like walking towards a giant hair dryer. That type of heat is unexplainable. I know for a lot of people here it’s not even considered so hot but for me, phh I’m just not built for that kind of weather. I walk to fast. I think it will take some time for me to acclimatise.

All of sudden it’s clear why people move slowly in hot countries. Moving fast just isn’t possible, it’s not laziness its survival instinct. And then today the weather is “cold” again. It is 20 degrees and rain. I just can’t get over that you can have an almost 20 degree difference in one day.

I know I will get used to this and that weather is a really boring subject to be talking about but it is all very new to me and I who can help themselves from marvelling at new things. I am also from a family who is obsessed with weather. My mother and grandfather’s conversions always started with an update on the local weather. Even thought the weather my grandfather presented was rarely a representation of the actual weather that had occurred. It is always sunny where he is even thought it might be bucketing down 500 meters down the road.

I was quite interesting to see how much people got into the Melbourne cup yesterday. Women were wearing party dresses and hats/fascinators to work solely for a race that is over in less than 2 minutes. Me and A went out for a walk and drink after work and we saw all the leftovers of the people that had had a party day. All the women stumbling home with shoes in one hand and the fascinators askew. It was great fun to watch and I’m quite happy today that I am not one of those of suffer the day after today.

Tuesday 3 November 2009

Darn Alcopop

I of course won nothing. Not even on at the sweepstakes at work..

Horses,phhh..can't trust em.

Put the bet on

I’ve put a bet on. But because I don’t know how to put a bet on I only ended up betting on 4 horses for me and A combined. They are as following:
Alcopop (odds 6)
Spin Around (odds 230)
Fiumicino (odds 80)
Daffodil (odds 16)

So I’m assuming with my luck I will win sweet nothing. I’m not a lucky gambler. I have never won anything as a child when we were going to the amusement parks. My sister however would always come home with something, which she would normally share with me as she is a very nice person. I think for next year I will ask her to put my bets on then I’ll be the biggest winner at the races. Yes that will be my plan. Sister K, can you do that for me for Melbourne Cup 2010.

Monday 2 November 2009

Melbourne Cup - or the day of crazy hats and grassy stains


Melbourne cup is a huge thing here. The whole country stops for a bit at 2.30 in the afternoon an people pay a huge amount of attention to 24 horses running along a grassy track. And my lord are they betting money. I think it might be the biggest sporting event of the year in regards to amount of money being betted. Also fashion is a big thing for spring racing carnival. Hats are huge in both size and style.

To enter into the generall spirit of things I have decided that I to shall bet money on this. Not knowing anything about horses it would be hard for me to pick the right horses. So to circumvent this and the fact that I have to learn to program C# for my new jobb I decided to build a little C# (pronounced C sharp) application that takes all the 24 horses and randomly picks out a number of them depending on how many I want to bet on.

I have decided that I want to bet on 4 horses for place i.e. if they get in at 1,2 or 3 place I win a little money.

So my bets that have been picked by my new Melbourne Cup Random Winner Picker are as follows:
ZAVITE
ALCOPOP
DAFFODIL
CHANGINGOFTHEGUARD

And A's bets that have been picked by my new Melbourne Cup Random Winner Picker are as follows:
ALCOPOP
SPIN AROUND
FIUMICINO
DAFFODIL

I will put money on them tommorow morgning before work and hopefully will be a millionaire by the end of the day (unlikely as I'm only intending to bet 20 dollars but a girl can dream right).

Neon Blue

Jacaranda Tree
It’s coming into summer in Sydney and the weather is warm and humid. I have always been a little scared of warm and humid. Not because I will look like a flat haired sweaty crazy person because I do that anyway but more because I don’t really like smells. I don’t even like perfume or things like that because I tend to be oversensitive to the acrid and tart smells that they have. And smells are enhanced by hot and humid areas. Everyone who has been in a garbage room in summer can attest to that.

My cold northern European nose is not used to the pungent smells that exist in hot and humid countries and I the reason I freak out so much about bad smells is that you cannot get away from them. They attack you and then you are stuck with them. The really bad ones also seem to get stuck in the nose and won’t disappear even if you blow your nose many times.

So I have been a little worried lately as I’ve been walking to work cause it is getting warmer and I am expecting that stuff is going to start attacking me on the way to work and I will spend the day blowing my nose to get rid of the smells and people will think that I’m having some nose related issues, you know issues with noses and stuff that goes in them and such. Which I don’t and I don’t want people to suspect that I am and such.

Anyway, what I was going to say was. It does not smell. Or it does smell but right now the smell I’m walking through on my way to work is strawberry jasmine and the lovely waft of the neon purple jacaranda tree. Which you all must agree is not half bad as a walking companion down Bourke Street in the mornings. Sure beats the buzzed out strange people strolling long oxford street for sure. So all good really. And I spent an hour on the beach yesterday.