MISS BRISBANE

The past 10 days have been pretty draining on me tbh - I spent the first Saturday moving out of my apartment, before flying down to Canberra on the Sunday and spending one week at PreDeparture training before I head to Nepal on the 25th.  It was fun and great to meet so many different people all with different reasons for wanting to work overseas.  I have to admit that at times I felt like my role that I will be taking up isn’t a ‘traditional’ development role (I will be working as a Human Resources Officer), but never to worry, I guess people just aren’t too familiar with what HR Development really means and that is why half the time when I explained my role I was met with blank stares.  I have to say Canberra itself is not all that inspiring.  At night (or rather by 6pm) it could be likened to a ghost town and I swear I saw a tumble weed roll past more than once…. I got to catch up with Rhys, an old uni mate whilst I was there which was great.  He seems to be pretty happy down there so who am I to judge (although he did confess that hardly any of his friends have visited him since he moved down there)!

The following Friday I flew into Melbourne and caught up over Japanese with another friend I hadn’t seen in over 5 years, Suzanne.  She has been travelling quite a lot, amongst working towards completing her medicine degree and has developed a love for skiing.  We did economics together in High School and reminisced about our teacher Mr. Courtis who used to come out with some pretty quirky puns, like when he asked the class ”and what do the politicians say when the economy is going this way?? the answer is they say - LET’S GET FISCAL”.  What a crack up.  I laughed for at least one minute when she reminded me of this, and let me tell you, one minute of continuous laughter is quite a long time!  I stayed the night at her place in Prahan before the following morning doing a bit of shopping and meeting up wiht another friend, this time one of whom I travelled with in Thailand, Tyler.  Ty had invited me to a 21st the night before, but as I was previously engaged could not attend.  Luckily I got the full run down over lunch, as she informed me that she had got home just before 6am and started work at 10.  She seems pretty happy and has plans to go on exchange to Germany with her partner at the end of this year. 

I got a call from Danny at 2ish letting me know he was heading over to his mate Archer’s and that I could head over whenever I wanted.  Archer’s place was pretty mint - located right next to Crown Casino and with views over the city he has a pretty sweet deal.  Dan and I ended up meeting with his friends Georgie, Marcus and Mo? for dinner at Enlightened Cuisine followed by moonlight Cinema.  Lt me tell you, this place rocks for vego dinner.  The food tastes (and looks) like real meat, but it isn’t!  We then headed over to the botanic gardens to watch vicki christina barcelona, a movie I had been wanting to see for a while but had missed at the movies.  It was an ok flick, great casting and shot in beautiful locations fuelling the travel lust in me even more.  Sunday we headed into Melbs for breaky before going to St Kilda for icecream (after all why else would you go there?).  The night was capped off with a barbie and episodes of biggest loser, SYTYCD and underbelly 2.  That show seriuosly has boobs in it every 5 minutes. 

Monday morning I flew back to Brisbane at 9 before hanging out with Kristy until my mum came to pick me up and take me home, and here I am now, sleeping on an airmatress at home.  Tomorrow I head down to byron for a couple of days with my mate Jess and her friend pippa.  I think we’ll surf the point down a lennox head or suss out evans head, less yobs than around byron.

This weekend I am moving out of my apartment back home.  The chick who is filling my room has kindly offered to buy my furniture so I only really need to move my clothes/books/jewellery/dvds and clean up.  I am not really looking forward to the move but will be happy once it happens. 

 Everyone has been super supportive of me leaving to go work in Nepal.  I am actually quite suprised at the amount of people who have reinforced what a great thing it is to do.  The reality of the situation is not lost on me though and I am gradually starting to realise that a lot of the things I am doing are really the last times I will be doing them before I leave.  I am going to miss my friends, family and the ocean so much but in the end I think it is a worthwhile trade off.  The Rudd government also announced that they are donating $950 to my travel fund today so I am quite chuffed they thought of me.

A friend recommended I buy “lost in transmission” by Jonathan Harley - its apparently a fantastic read about a news reporter who got posted as the asian correspondent and his life in asia.  He was the only Aussie journo in Afghanistan when September 11 occurred.  So now I need to track it down!  Perhaps when I’m in Melbourne I’ll be able to find it.

well.  I fell off the freegan bandwagon on Sunday but got straight back on on Monday.  I went to a yoga class at the gym on monday and followed this up with a boxing class last night at the gym.  boy are my arms sore.

I was struck by a story that someone I met recently told me about his trip to Nepal.  He had been trekking the Himalayas for quite a period of time when one morning he came across a young nepali girl, dressed in a torn shirt and pants and without shoes.  She played with his neckerchief, cheekily trying to steal it away from him.  The girl pointed at it and asked “Can I have”?  He smiled and said to her “Unfortunately that is not possible”, as the bandanna had special sentimental meaning to him.  She defiantly looked back at him and said “Everything possible”.   With that he took another look at her and slid the bandanna from his neck, passing it to her, before she smiled and ran away…

My friend Danny introduced me to the concept of Freeganism last night - that is, only eating food that is free (ie. you are given/don’t have to pay for).  I think I’m going to take up the challenge and see how long I last.  I really need to save up some cash this month!  Last night will be my starting point.  I’ve had free lasagne, bacon and french toast so far (dinner and breakfast) and figure with work we get free fruit and milo, free milk also and the occassional free bikkie.  I don’t drink tea or coffee so that is out of the question.  Now I just need to see how many free dinners I can swing!

So it can be quite confronting when you find out someone close to you is ill/dying.  A girl who I was close with in Primary school, Karlee was recently diagnosed with breast cancer.  She just had a mastectomy.  She is 22. This blows my mind.  Life throws us some amazing challenges at times.  One of my great mates Amy was just dumped by her partner of 3 years.  She was moving to Wagga Wagga with him whilst he pursued a career in the Airforce and was going to put her life on hold for him.  They had just bought $4k worth of furniture and his mother owes her $5k.  I feel kind of bad for her but I guess you have to remember when one door closes another door opens.

So NYE was a funny night, quite a few funny things happened.  I spent the afternoon with my friends Tom and Paul - Paul cooked and made a fantastic chicken salad for dinner.  We caught two buses over to my friend Jess’ and on the walk down her street we ran into Ryan, my ex flatmate.  Ryan is not my favourite person and I didn’t really enjoy seeing him - so much so that I just ignored him.  The party was pretty quiet when we arrived at 8pm but it ramped up as we went along.  I met Cal’s girlfriend Cara on New Year’s.  She is a radiologist currently studying medicine, pretty impressive.  She’s not someone I think I will be friends with but she seems nice enough and is good for him.  I think Callum and I will eventually become friends again, but with me moving overseas it will most likely prolong this happening.  We spent quite a while chatting that night. 

One of Cal’s friends James kissed me on new years but it wasn’t really anything, it pretty much a peck on the mouth (which secretly I was happy about as I am not attracted to him at all like that).  I danced, drank and laughed with Jess.  Then decided to start walking home until I found a cab.  WIthin two minutes a cab arrived, dropping off some other party goers further down the street.  I was blessed to have found a cab so quickly on New Years and I take it as a sign that good things will happen this year.

 Also check this video out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xesNS1Wg-Fs

peace x

the past two weeks have been great for unwinding and spending time with friends.  I spent a week on the NSW central coast with Jess trying to surf it up.  it was great.  but seriously, we just met way too many canadians.  Not that I have anything against Canadians, I just seem to meet more Canadians then any other nationality and I like to mix it up a bit! 

I returned to my brunette roots and I’m now ok with it.  Brown hair isn’t actually all that bad!  I also just found out from my sister’s friend that she ( my sister!!) is engaged.  She is 19.  What gives?  I haven’t even met the guy!  My flight itinerary was sent through on NYE, I leave Brisbane at midnight on the 25th of February, arriving in Bangkok at 6am on the 26th, then fly onto Kathmandu to arrive there at 1:30pm that day.  Am thinking I’ll buy a Dell XPS M1330, its light and has the power I need to work on it so I just need to wait a month or so before I make the big purchase!

I am moving to Nepal on February 25th 2009.  There are 3 other women heading over at the same time as me, however I will be living by myself in Bhaktapur, a town 15ks out of Kathmandu (the capital of nepal).  It is quite exciting, and yet I have so much to do to prepare.  I have been told I need to stock up on Shoes, Jeans and underwear as there is a short supply of all of the above for westerners.

I have sent off my visa request and filled out the vast majority of the necessary forms.  I have even ordered my vaccinations - I need 10 jabs before I go!!  I dyed my hair dark brown from bleach blonde last week too.  I am toying with the idea of selling my car.  I have found a laptop to purchase - a dell xps m1330.  Nice and light but efficient enough to do the work I need to do.  More details to come..

It would appear I am at a crossroads of sorts.  I was yesterday offered a role with great autonomy, the only HR Officer for a $600M project, with the potential to move into an HR Advisory role within 1 year’s time.  On the flipside, I could stay where I am on a $300M project, but with less autonomy, but a great team and 5 minutes down the road from my place.  I am still waiting to hear back on the AYAD position - I will find out in 4 days (on Monday) as to whether or not I have been successful.  My gut feel is to take the AYAD position if offered, but by turning down the first project, it will be a great opportunity missed.  I’m really stuck in between a rock and a hard place.  The AYAD position is completely voluntary, whilst the position at home will be great money and would be great for my skills technically. 

 I guess I need to do a bit more thinking..

I still (unsuprisingly) haven’t heard anything about my application…effectively I have another 11 days to wait (but who’s counting).  Caught up with Paul, Tom, Kristy and her sister Michelle last night for some Trivia which was fun.  Gotta love the glen’s woodfired pizzas.  Then Paul Tom and I went back to my place and watched the I.T. Crowd.  I was recently introduced to this awesome show by Danny on my trip down to Tassie and can’t get enough of it.  I think I could watch the episodes over and over. 

I went back to the gym last night after being sick for the past week, and am still in the process of recovering.  I only managed a 3k run last night (pretty slack!!).  Work is pretty stressful at the moment but my boss is back today so that should take some of the stress off me.  I have the coolnight classic run tomorrow night which should be fun - 5.2k through Brisbane and around Kangaroo Point, unfortunately the weather has been pretty crappy lately, to the point where north Brissy has been declared a disaster zone, so fingers crossed the weather doesn’t turn tomorrow evening.

I’ve got a dance music festival with Ben on Saturday to boogey on down to which I am looking forward to, will be good to see faker and PNAU. 

I paid my tax bill today too! $353 down the drain.  SCAMMERS!!!!  How the hell am I supposed to save with all these bills.  I am hoping next pay will bring more savings. 

So I have received 4 invitations for my NYE and managed to narrow it down to two, but I have to say none of them excite me extremely all that much, I guess I’m just hard to please (and spoilt for choice).  

1. Spend NYE in Austria with a friend from Primary School - he’s living over there from next week in the ski fields indefinitely.  Pros: Free accommodation and cheap food/drinks. Heaps of new people to meet Cons: Price of the flights, not knowing anyone except for Scott!
2. NYE in Sydney with one of my best friends before she moves over to India to take up an aid work position in Economic Policy.  Pros: Free accommodation and cheapish flights, spending a NYE in Sydney - something I’ve never done, spending time with Kritika before she leaves Cons: Spending NYE in Sydney!!! All the congestion and too many people to worry about, waiting hours for a cab/to fit on public transport!
3. Camping/diving/surfing on Straddie with a few of my mates, Kristy, Tom and Paul.  Pros:  Relaxing end to the year and I’m by the beach and its chill, I get to spend a few days away with good friends Cons: Having to organise everything, the cost associated with hiring a beach house (if we don’t camp)
4. A NYE house Party (themed Apocolyptic) with my oldest friend Jess at her place Pros: It’s in Brisbane so is not all that hard to get to, it’s with Jess! Cons: Jess’ll probably spend most of the night with her boyfriend anyway, my ex will probably be there.
5. Stuff everyone and go overseas and make some new friends for NYE!

Trivia tonight at the pub.  After being sick all week I am looking forward to heading back to the gym tonight too. woop.