Always Travelling
January 26, 2007
Previously
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2007
January
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2007
January
January 23, 2007
The next flashmob
For anyone in town who wants to do something pretty random. Just watch out for those undercover coppers!
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Subject: The next flashmob
Ok.
As you all know the next flashmob is on saturday the 3rd feb.
Please make your way to the information booth in the murray St mall between 1130am and 12. The mob rep will be standing out the front of it to hand out the rest of the instructions. This as you may remember is the same meeting point as last time...near "city beach " surf store etc..
The mob rep will be wearing a RED tshirt with the words
"Strictly for my NINJAS"
Approach him and say
"i love ninjas!" and he will hand you the rest of the instructions.
Ok. A few requests.
If you could all wear red. Can be anything but i guess a tshirt or top or dress etc would be best. If you don't have red then no problem..it's a request not an order.
If you have any bandages, walking sticks, crutches, slings for broken arms or even a wheel chair... please bring them along.
Um.
The second part of the flashmob is going to be a bbq sausage sizzle in an inappropriate place...an inner city location. You do not need to bring anything as all sausages and buns etc will be provided free. YAY.
Ok. So this flashmob is going to be a little different... I hope you all enjoy it.
Spread the word.
Peace.
--
Flashmobs in Perth www.do-or-diy.com
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Subject: The next flashmob
Ok.
As you all know the next flashmob is on saturday the 3rd feb.
Please make your way to the information booth in the murray St mall between 1130am and 12. The mob rep will be standing out the front of it to hand out the rest of the instructions. This as you may remember is the same meeting point as last time...near "city beach " surf store etc..
The mob rep will be wearing a RED tshirt with the words
"Strictly for my NINJAS"
Approach him and say
"i love ninjas!" and he will hand you the rest of the instructions.
Ok. A few requests.
If you could all wear red. Can be anything but i guess a tshirt or top or dress etc would be best. If you don't have red then no problem..it's a request not an order.
If you have any bandages, walking sticks, crutches, slings for broken arms or even a wheel chair... please bring them along.
Um.
The second part of the flashmob is going to be a bbq sausage sizzle in an inappropriate place...an inner city location. You do not need to bring anything as all sausages and buns etc will be provided free. YAY.
Ok. So this flashmob is going to be a little different... I hope you all enjoy it.
Spread the word.
Peace.
--
Flashmobs in Perth www.do-or-diy.com
January 22, 2007
Sissy girly hands
Very early Sunday morning, about 8.30am, went to play tennis with my Dad and my brothers Sebastian, Daniel and Kieran... and I only lasted 20 or so minutes before I managed to not only form a big blister on the inside of my thumb but then rip it open. I used to play heaps of tennis... now i have sissy soft hands.
After tennis we all headed over to one of Daniel's properties to carry on the renovations he's been doing. The place was a dump, a really old crappy rental home, but on a very big piece of land 5 minutes drive out of the city - great location. He wants to hold onto it till he can subdivide, knock down the house and build a couple of apartments or something... but in the meantime carry out some basic renovations to up the rental value of the house and get a tenant in. He and Dad have already painted all the inside walls and ceilings and so today we ripped out the carpets and the underlay, spent hours with pliers pulling out nails and staples from the jarrah floorboards... he wants to sand, stain and polish them up and it'll look really good. Pulling nails out of floorboards was back-breaking work, and my sissy hands were massacred.
I remember fondly back to the days when I was 19 and doing a lot of weight lifting, and my hands were hard and calloused. Run them over a woollen knit sweater and the threads would catch on the rough patches along the joints of my fingers and the creases in my palms. Man hands. hahaha. Back in the old days.
January 21, 2007
Photo
Trim, Taylor & Paul. (I am Trim btw... Nick Taylor and I have called each other by our last names since high school). At an Indian restaurant in Oct 2006.
January 20, 2007
Flickr feed of good photos
One feed I love checking is the flickr feed for the group of photos that have 1500+ views and 60+ faves.... there are some amazing shots coming through. The volume is about a handful each day and although a proportion are of women (tasteful) most are of the natural world or of some creative expression. The group can be found at the following: http://www.flickr.com/groups/1500views60faves/pool/
Some examples from today:
January 19, 2007
New job
Well, as as I wrote in the post below, I finished up at Industry Partners, a blue collar labour hire company that services the booming resources sector in this state, on Wednesday. Thursday morning I made a few phone calls to places that had shown interest when I sent my resume out in the week before Xmas. One of those places was a boutique recruitment company called Forrester Mann.
This morning I went in for an interview and walked out 10 mins later with a job. Great! These recruitment guys don't muck around. They have seen thousands of resumes and get straight to the point - they need something done or have some project etc, and if you appear to be competent you've got the job. I had a decent idea already about the details of the job from what we discussed over the phone.
The job will be a short term, full-time paid casual position. I have 2 weeks before I need to focus on airport pickups and the following orientation programme for our first semester exchange students so that works fine for me. I'm to look at the induction booklet and spruce it up a bit, make sure it is current in terms of OH&S, compliance with all legislation etc. and ensure it is comprehensive. To do this I will be gathering as many induction booklets / resources as I can from the competition, and comparing. I will also look from the point of view of what should an induction package contain, starting from scratch. I have only a limited idea at the moment but hey, I'm not supposed to know yet! I start on Monday. There is no fixed time limit set but I intend to work quickly and put forward recommendations but the end of the first week.
I accepted the job because 1) it fits in with one of my aims for this year, and that is to gain as much diverse experience within the HR field as possible, and 2) being a paid job it will help me to achieve other goals I have for this year that will cost money (like the CELTA course).
This morning I went in for an interview and walked out 10 mins later with a job. Great! These recruitment guys don't muck around. They have seen thousands of resumes and get straight to the point - they need something done or have some project etc, and if you appear to be competent you've got the job. I had a decent idea already about the details of the job from what we discussed over the phone.
The job will be a short term, full-time paid casual position. I have 2 weeks before I need to focus on airport pickups and the following orientation programme for our first semester exchange students so that works fine for me. I'm to look at the induction booklet and spruce it up a bit, make sure it is current in terms of OH&S, compliance with all legislation etc. and ensure it is comprehensive. To do this I will be gathering as many induction booklets / resources as I can from the competition, and comparing. I will also look from the point of view of what should an induction package contain, starting from scratch. I have only a limited idea at the moment but hey, I'm not supposed to know yet! I start on Monday. There is no fixed time limit set but I intend to work quickly and put forward recommendations but the end of the first week.
I accepted the job because 1) it fits in with one of my aims for this year, and that is to gain as much diverse experience within the HR field as possible, and 2) being a paid job it will help me to achieve other goals I have for this year that will cost money (like the CELTA course).
January 18, 2007
Finished internship
Perhaps I should have worked at a slower pace and spaced things out more. I joined Industry Partners with a large backlog of resumes to be worked through - reference check, get the candidate in to register, upload/update profile on system. Yesterday I pretty much finished the task (apart from those who I had difficulty contacting, even after trying for 2 weeks straight), and so my temporary full-time employment has come to an end. That's it! Wham bam, get in there, very busy for 2 weeks, finish the job, seeya later.
The good thing though is that these guys are great, and I will get called back in the future when they have overflow work again. I forsee that happening quite a bit, as they have only a small staff and get inundated with resumes when they put ads in the weekend papers.
So today I start looking, making phone calls, sending my resume out, for another short-term internship opportunity, or perhaps something that can become a 2 day per week job I can work in combination with university and student advising.
Oh, last night was another great dinner at Annalakshmi. Had a great group of people, about 15 in total. This time was awesome as it was my second or third opportunity to meet some of them and the conversations were not of the 'hello, my name is...' nature but were a little more advanced than that.
The good thing though is that these guys are great, and I will get called back in the future when they have overflow work again. I forsee that happening quite a bit, as they have only a small staff and get inundated with resumes when they put ads in the weekend papers.
So today I start looking, making phone calls, sending my resume out, for another short-term internship opportunity, or perhaps something that can become a 2 day per week job I can work in combination with university and student advising.
Oh, last night was another great dinner at Annalakshmi. Had a great group of people, about 15 in total. This time was awesome as it was my second or third opportunity to meet some of them and the conversations were not of the 'hello, my name is...' nature but were a little more advanced than that.
January 17, 2007
FOR YOUR REFERENCE MY FRIENDS
Rules of pooing at work
As much as we try to convince ourselves otherwise, the WORK POO is
inevitable. For those who hate pooing at work, following is the Survival
Guide for taking a dump at work.
CROP DUSTING -- When farting, you walk briskly around the office so the
smell is not in your area and everyone else gets a whiff but doesn't
know where it came from. Be careful when you do this. Do not stop until
the full fart has been expelled. Walk an extra 30 feet to make sure the
smell has left your pants.
FLY BY -- The act of scouting out a bathroom before pooing. Walk in and
check for other pooers. If there are others in the bathroom, leave and
come back again. Be careful not to become a FREQUENT FLYER. People may
become suspicious if they catch you constantly going into the bathroom.
ESCAPEE -- A fart that slips out while taking a leak at the urinal or
forcing a poo in a cubicle. This is usually accompanied by a sudden wave
of embarrassment. If you release an escapee, do not acknowledge it.
Pretend it did not happen. If you are standing next to the farter in the
urinal, pretend you did not hear it. No one likes an escapee. It is
uncomfortable for all involved. Making a joke or laughing makes both
parties feel uneasy.
JAILBREAK -- When forcing a poo, several farts slip out at a machine gun
pace. This is usually a side effect of diarrhoea or a hangover. If this
should happen, do not panic. Remain in the cubicle until everyone has
left the bathroom to spare everyone the awkwardness of what just
occurred.
COURTESY FLUSH -- The act of flushing the toilet the instant the poo
hits the water. This reduces the amount of airtime the poo has to stink
up the bathroom. This can help you avoid being caught doing the WALK OF
SHAME.
WALK OF SHAME -- Walking from the cubicle, to the sink, to the door
after you have just stunk up the bathroom. This can be a very
uncomfortable moment if someone walks in and busts you. As with farts,
it is best to pretend that the smell does not exist. Can be avoided with
the use of the COURTESY FLUSH.
OUT OF THE CLOSET POOER -- A colleague who poos at work and is proud of
it. You will often see an Out Of The Closet Pooer enter the bathroom
with a newspaper or magazine under his or her arm. Always look around
the office for the Out Of The Closet Pooer before entering the bathroom.
THE POOING FRIENDS NETWORK (P.F.N) -- A group of co-workers who band
together to ensure emergency pooing goes off without incident. This
group can help you to monitor the whereabouts of Out Of The Closet
Pooers, and identify SAFE HAVENS.
SAFE HAVENS -- A seldom-used bathroom somewhere in the building where
you can least expect visitors. Try floors that are predominantly of the
opposite gender . This will reduce the odds of a pooer of your gender
entering the bathroom.
TURD BURGLAR -- Someone who does not realise that you are in the cubicle
and tries to force the door open. This is one of the most shocking and
vulnerable moments that can occur when taking a poo at work. If this
occurs, remain in the cubicle until the Turd Burglar leaves. This way
you will avoid all uncomfortable eye contact.
CAMO-COUGH -- A phoney cough that alerts all new entrants into the
bathroom that you are in a cubicle. This can be used to cover-up a
WATERMELON, or to alert potential Turd Burglars. Very effective when
used in conjunction with an ASTAIRE.
ASTAIRE -- A subtle toe-tap that is used to alert potential Turd
Burglars that you are occupying a cubicle. This will remove all doubt
that the cubicle is occupied. If you hear an Astaire, leave the bathroom
immediately so the pooer can poo in peace.
WATERMELON -- A poo that creates a loud splash when hitting the toilet
water. This is also an embarrassing incident. If you feel a Watermelon
coming on, create a diversion. See CAMO-COUGH.
HAVANAOMELET -- A case of diarrhoea that creates a series of loud
splashes in the toilet water. Often accompanied by an Escapee. Try using
a Camo-Cough with an Astaire.
UNCLE TED -- A bathroom user who seems to linger around forever. Could
spend extended lengths of time in front of the mirror or sitting on the
pot. An Uncle Ted makes it difficult to relax while on the crapper, as
you should always wait to poo when the bathroom is empty. This benefits
you as well as the other bathroom attendees
As much as we try to convince ourselves otherwise, the WORK POO is
inevitable. For those who hate pooing at work, following is the Survival
Guide for taking a dump at work.
CROP DUSTING -- When farting, you walk briskly around the office so the
smell is not in your area and everyone else gets a whiff but doesn't
know where it came from. Be careful when you do this. Do not stop until
the full fart has been expelled. Walk an extra 30 feet to make sure the
smell has left your pants.
FLY BY -- The act of scouting out a bathroom before pooing. Walk in and
check for other pooers. If there are others in the bathroom, leave and
come back again. Be careful not to become a FREQUENT FLYER. People may
become suspicious if they catch you constantly going into the bathroom.
ESCAPEE -- A fart that slips out while taking a leak at the urinal or
forcing a poo in a cubicle. This is usually accompanied by a sudden wave
of embarrassment. If you release an escapee, do not acknowledge it.
Pretend it did not happen. If you are standing next to the farter in the
urinal, pretend you did not hear it. No one likes an escapee. It is
uncomfortable for all involved. Making a joke or laughing makes both
parties feel uneasy.
JAILBREAK -- When forcing a poo, several farts slip out at a machine gun
pace. This is usually a side effect of diarrhoea or a hangover. If this
should happen, do not panic. Remain in the cubicle until everyone has
left the bathroom to spare everyone the awkwardness of what just
occurred.
COURTESY FLUSH -- The act of flushing the toilet the instant the poo
hits the water. This reduces the amount of airtime the poo has to stink
up the bathroom. This can help you avoid being caught doing the WALK OF
SHAME.
WALK OF SHAME -- Walking from the cubicle, to the sink, to the door
after you have just stunk up the bathroom. This can be a very
uncomfortable moment if someone walks in and busts you. As with farts,
it is best to pretend that the smell does not exist. Can be avoided with
the use of the COURTESY FLUSH.
OUT OF THE CLOSET POOER -- A colleague who poos at work and is proud of
it. You will often see an Out Of The Closet Pooer enter the bathroom
with a newspaper or magazine under his or her arm. Always look around
the office for the Out Of The Closet Pooer before entering the bathroom.
THE POOING FRIENDS NETWORK (P.F.N) -- A group of co-workers who band
together to ensure emergency pooing goes off without incident. This
group can help you to monitor the whereabouts of Out Of The Closet
Pooers, and identify SAFE HAVENS.
SAFE HAVENS -- A seldom-used bathroom somewhere in the building where
you can least expect visitors. Try floors that are predominantly of the
opposite gender . This will reduce the odds of a pooer of your gender
entering the bathroom.
TURD BURGLAR -- Someone who does not realise that you are in the cubicle
and tries to force the door open. This is one of the most shocking and
vulnerable moments that can occur when taking a poo at work. If this
occurs, remain in the cubicle until the Turd Burglar leaves. This way
you will avoid all uncomfortable eye contact.
CAMO-COUGH -- A phoney cough that alerts all new entrants into the
bathroom that you are in a cubicle. This can be used to cover-up a
WATERMELON, or to alert potential Turd Burglars. Very effective when
used in conjunction with an ASTAIRE.
ASTAIRE -- A subtle toe-tap that is used to alert potential Turd
Burglars that you are occupying a cubicle. This will remove all doubt
that the cubicle is occupied. If you hear an Astaire, leave the bathroom
immediately so the pooer can poo in peace.
WATERMELON -- A poo that creates a loud splash when hitting the toilet
water. This is also an embarrassing incident. If you feel a Watermelon
coming on, create a diversion. See CAMO-COUGH.
HAVANAOMELET -- A case of diarrhoea that creates a series of loud
splashes in the toilet water. Often accompanied by an Escapee. Try using
a Camo-Cough with an Astaire.
UNCLE TED -- A bathroom user who seems to linger around forever. Could
spend extended lengths of time in front of the mirror or sitting on the
pot. An Uncle Ted makes it difficult to relax while on the crapper, as
you should always wait to poo when the bathroom is empty. This benefits
you as well as the other bathroom attendees
January 10, 2007
can't stop to say much but...
I'm having a ball at the moment! There are only a few periods where I've been busier, but I am feeling great and loving it! (not every second, but overall I am loving it).
The internship is brilliant - I am always on the go, at a million miles an hour all day, and I am learning heaps. I'm actually doing stuff, real stuff. It is a small company of experienced people, today I counted 9 in the weekly business meeting. The partners are giving me work to do and are patient and encouraging with me. On Monday I placed my first tradesman, a crane operator at a warehouse for one week.
The student advising is great - when I come home from the internship (sometimes via the university office) I get stuck into preparations for the next study tour group (who arrive this weekend) and for the semester 1 exchange students (who arrive in less than a month). The weekend just gone saw myself and a mate, Scott, dealing with a miscommunication and a delayed flight, to meet 30ish Elon college students at the airport on Saturday and get them to the hotel, some dinner, and then show them the city on Sunday. There is a lot more to say about the weekend actually but that would require another post.
There are opportunities popping up everywhere for work experience during the year.
Yesterday I called Saira in Karachi and talked - yes actually talked! - for the first time in almost a year. Crystal clear connection and what works out to be a decent call rate. Gotta love Optus prepaid turbocharge. I have set myself the goal of being there on Aug 17th. There will be challenges but that will make it even more worthwhile. Needless to say it was great to hear the Pakistani accent again!
And on dour notes: I am reduced to fiddling with connecting wires on the circuitboard in my car immobiliser everytime I try to start the engine (what a pain - must get new remotes!) and we had an attempted burglary at 4am Tuesday morning. They didn't get it but did leave us shaken.
And to finish off the post, I will leave you with one of my favourite answering machine messages.
Hi,
You are,
I'm not,
I will be,
Leave a message,
So when I am,
I can.
Beep.
The internship is brilliant - I am always on the go, at a million miles an hour all day, and I am learning heaps. I'm actually doing stuff, real stuff. It is a small company of experienced people, today I counted 9 in the weekly business meeting. The partners are giving me work to do and are patient and encouraging with me. On Monday I placed my first tradesman, a crane operator at a warehouse for one week.
The student advising is great - when I come home from the internship (sometimes via the university office) I get stuck into preparations for the next study tour group (who arrive this weekend) and for the semester 1 exchange students (who arrive in less than a month). The weekend just gone saw myself and a mate, Scott, dealing with a miscommunication and a delayed flight, to meet 30ish Elon college students at the airport on Saturday and get them to the hotel, some dinner, and then show them the city on Sunday. There is a lot more to say about the weekend actually but that would require another post.
There are opportunities popping up everywhere for work experience during the year.
Yesterday I called Saira in Karachi and talked - yes actually talked! - for the first time in almost a year. Crystal clear connection and what works out to be a decent call rate. Gotta love Optus prepaid turbocharge. I have set myself the goal of being there on Aug 17th. There will be challenges but that will make it even more worthwhile. Needless to say it was great to hear the Pakistani accent again!
And on dour notes: I am reduced to fiddling with connecting wires on the circuitboard in my car immobiliser everytime I try to start the engine (what a pain - must get new remotes!) and we had an attempted burglary at 4am Tuesday morning. They didn't get it but did leave us shaken.
And to finish off the post, I will leave you with one of my favourite answering machine messages.
Hi,
You are,
I'm not,
I will be,
Leave a message,
So when I am,
I can.
Beep.
January 05, 2007
Hot Berocca Tea
Discovery for the day: Pouring boiling hot water on an effervescent Berocca tablet results in a hissing mass of bubbles as it dissolves in about 5 seconds flat. Add cool water so you can drink and then enjoy - the temperature makes it taste different.
I'm home on a sick day... which is a terrible start to an internship. There's a gastro thing going around and I've picked it up. Thank heavens for Immodium!
January 04, 2007
First day
Wednesday, yesterday as it is now past midnight, was my first day at Industry Partners. I do not have an agreed rate of pay nor an agreed internship duration, but both of those things did not need to be dealt with on my first day. I have a spacious cubicle, computer and phone. Basically I tried to get the hang of things quickly.
- The HRIS (human resource information system) they have, which looks to be an off-the-shelf software package, is called FastTrack. I've never used an HRIS before and so it is a good opportunity to get some hands on experience. This particular one is basically a database of job candidate information such as qualifications, experience, references, etc. It's stored on a central server and pretty much everyone works from it all day long. It's been modified so that all the relevant licenses and so forth are there to be selected from.
- Candidates (people we match to jobs) must be rev checked (reference checked: everyone in the office seemed to go with the cool "revvv" checked) before being entered into FastTrack, and that is where I come in.
- Reference checking involves ringing up candidates prior places of work, supervisors, etc and running through a standard set of questions such as attendance, quality of work, attitude towards supervisors, etc. This involves a lot of time on the phone! Today I found that I am a bit timid on the phone, nervous when I stuff tings up etc, and so one thing I'll definitely get out of this internship is a phone call style and confidence.
- It's a pain in the arse when people don't put down referees, or don't put down contact numbers for their prior places of work, or both. I have to put on my investigative hat in those cases and find someone who can give a reference. Today I had a guy who looks to have faked his CV - the places he had put down had never heard of him.
- Once referees have been called and info from them gathered, I enter it into the system. Done.
Time for bed, work is from 8am to 4pm.
January 01, 2007
Good advice
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