Well, after 18 months of living here, it is time to wipe the slate clean, make a fresh start, throw the baby out with the bathwater, go back to square one and take things to the next level. Spent the last few days gardening, cleaning the pool, cleaning, tidying, painting and generally getting the place decent for viewing.
Definitely time to move on, but I will miss the place, especially my Kooka friends and the Koala.
It's on the web at RealEstate.com.au and the agents website First National Real Estate.
Getting plenty of interest but who knows in the current market. There's no rush at least but if it keeps the ex off my back with threats then that has to be a good thing.
Monday, 13 July 2009
Wednesday, 1 July 2009
CITCON Brisbane 2009
So I attended my first CITCON this year. As K. J. Ross & Associates were sponsors 1) I was obliged to go but there were other attractions such as 2) it was a free as in beer conference 3) it was nearby physically, being in Acacia Ridge, but not that close in terms of places I would visit out of choice 4) some serious drawcards with the attendees.
It was number 4 that was the clincher, with people coming from private enterprise and government, local and overseas, testers to developers, geeks to geekettes, and more than anything, people who wanted to share their experiences and be open to learn something new.
Twitter and flickr were kept busy with people updating the interweb tubes regularly.
http://bit.ly/BkRTV and check #citcon.
I'd probably go next year but that might be challenging as NZ is proposed as a venue.
Monday, 14 April 2003
we're all going to the zoo tomorrow
I've been lazy; I'm aware of that. I haven't written anything in ages, and I feel consternation
at losing touch with people back home. I'm not busy at the moment, but
there have been some interesting things in Manly.
For what good it did, there was a paddle-for-peace, where around 300 surfers formed a peace logo in the sea. It took around 20 minutes for us all to paddle out and form up, when we then sat around, bobbing on the waves for another 45 minutes. I think the organisers were expecting hoards of press in helicopters to fly over, and for our pictures to be splashed across the front of The Australian, along with a breaking news report at 5pm. In reality, it made the back page of the Sydney Herald, and front page on the local rag, the Manly Daily. I have a feeling that John Howard was far from quaking in his shoes when he heard of a bunch of surfers protesting, and I doubt he rang Blair or Bush to warn them of the impending revolt.
It crossed my mind that while those who were in favour of the war said that at least we were able to protest about our governments actions. I wonder what good it does when despite living in a democracy; the majority is not listened to. Oh, what is the point of thinking about it?
We had a little incident at the place where I'm staying. One Friday night, between one and 3 am, the power was turned off to the place, and some people broke into the back garden, and stole some clothes off the line. In the end they discarded most things and only took my wetsuit. Annoying to say the least. Fortunately, there was a sale at the surf shop down the road, and I picked another one up with 30% off the price. Good deal. I have to say I look rather fetching in it.
The work situation hasn't really changed much. Blake put me onto an agency where I had a chat. Nothing much has come of it yet, but it has kept my optimism up for a while. So what do I do? While Cathy goes out and earns an honest living, I wax my board, put on my new wetsuit, and head to the beach. To be honest, I still spend maybe two hours a day searching the web, ringing agencies and making my CV the sweetest looking CV in the world.
On top of the job hunting and surfing, I'm starting to invest time in indoor activities, an example being modelling, of the plastic rather than flesh variety. It started when Cathy got me a small model of a Mirage, and the latest has been a Harrier GR3. Most exciting. I think one is allowed to regress into ones childhood, when you don't have a job.
There have been a few birthdays recently; we went out for a surprise meal and a bit of boozing, when Lisa had her birthday. I somehow ended up in a very sorry state, but of course it was all for the sake of Lisa's birthday you understand. Last Monday, the 7th was Cathy's birthday, and her birthday treat was the day off work and a trip to the zoo. We had heard some good things about the Taronga Zoo, which helped me as neither of us are too keen on zoos if they are a bit 'eastern European', but we like them if they are anything like Marwell Zoo. It's a crap theory because at the end of the day all zoos are the same. Taronga has some amazing exhibits. Actually, what do you call a cage or pen of animals? There are examples of native bats, spiders, red kangaroos, grey kangaroos, rock-hoppers, platypuses, emus, water dragons, and all kinds of native birds, plus some excellent areas for gorillas and chimpanzees. All of these animals looked really happy. The animals that didn't look happy were the arctic leopards (not surprising when it's a hot day), the very bored or drugged lion, the equally bored or drugged Siberian tiger and the red panda. All the big cats were in an area the size of the average back garden, which obviously isn't natural and the red panda had just been moved from one enclosure to another, and had the unenviable position of being the target of screaming kids. Still, it's a nice zoo and they are improving the place all the time, plus they have some excellent breeding programmes running, and it has one of the BEST views of the harbour.
Eddie should arrive sometime today and it will be nice to see a face from home, although Cathy and I have no idea what we are going to do to occupy him. To be honest, I don't know what I do to keep myself occupied. Well, I have to admit that I do spend a few evenings a week at the internet café playing CounterStrike on the net, where I go by the name of 2zer0, but that's another story.
at losing touch with people back home. I'm not busy at the moment, but
there have been some interesting things in Manly.
For what good it did, there was a paddle-for-peace, where around 300 surfers formed a peace logo in the sea. It took around 20 minutes for us all to paddle out and form up, when we then sat around, bobbing on the waves for another 45 minutes. I think the organisers were expecting hoards of press in helicopters to fly over, and for our pictures to be splashed across the front of The Australian, along with a breaking news report at 5pm. In reality, it made the back page of the Sydney Herald, and front page on the local rag, the Manly Daily. I have a feeling that John Howard was far from quaking in his shoes when he heard of a bunch of surfers protesting, and I doubt he rang Blair or Bush to warn them of the impending revolt.
It crossed my mind that while those who were in favour of the war said that at least we were able to protest about our governments actions. I wonder what good it does when despite living in a democracy; the majority is not listened to. Oh, what is the point of thinking about it?
We had a little incident at the place where I'm staying. One Friday night, between one and 3 am, the power was turned off to the place, and some people broke into the back garden, and stole some clothes off the line. In the end they discarded most things and only took my wetsuit. Annoying to say the least. Fortunately, there was a sale at the surf shop down the road, and I picked another one up with 30% off the price. Good deal. I have to say I look rather fetching in it.
The work situation hasn't really changed much. Blake put me onto an agency where I had a chat. Nothing much has come of it yet, but it has kept my optimism up for a while. So what do I do? While Cathy goes out and earns an honest living, I wax my board, put on my new wetsuit, and head to the beach. To be honest, I still spend maybe two hours a day searching the web, ringing agencies and making my CV the sweetest looking CV in the world.
On top of the job hunting and surfing, I'm starting to invest time in indoor activities, an example being modelling, of the plastic rather than flesh variety. It started when Cathy got me a small model of a Mirage, and the latest has been a Harrier GR3. Most exciting. I think one is allowed to regress into ones childhood, when you don't have a job.
There have been a few birthdays recently; we went out for a surprise meal and a bit of boozing, when Lisa had her birthday. I somehow ended up in a very sorry state, but of course it was all for the sake of Lisa's birthday you understand. Last Monday, the 7th was Cathy's birthday, and her birthday treat was the day off work and a trip to the zoo. We had heard some good things about the Taronga Zoo, which helped me as neither of us are too keen on zoos if they are a bit 'eastern European', but we like them if they are anything like Marwell Zoo. It's a crap theory because at the end of the day all zoos are the same. Taronga has some amazing exhibits. Actually, what do you call a cage or pen of animals? There are examples of native bats, spiders, red kangaroos, grey kangaroos, rock-hoppers, platypuses, emus, water dragons, and all kinds of native birds, plus some excellent areas for gorillas and chimpanzees. All of these animals looked really happy. The animals that didn't look happy were the arctic leopards (not surprising when it's a hot day), the very bored or drugged lion, the equally bored or drugged Siberian tiger and the red panda. All the big cats were in an area the size of the average back garden, which obviously isn't natural and the red panda had just been moved from one enclosure to another, and had the unenviable position of being the target of screaming kids. Still, it's a nice zoo and they are improving the place all the time, plus they have some excellent breeding programmes running, and it has one of the BEST views of the harbour.
Eddie should arrive sometime today and it will be nice to see a face from home, although Cathy and I have no idea what we are going to do to occupy him. To be honest, I don't know what I do to keep myself occupied. Well, I have to admit that I do spend a few evenings a week at the internet café playing CounterStrike on the net, where I go by the name of 2zer0, but that's another story.
Monday, 17 February 2003
language and culture; what is this place about?
A typical day starts thus; I get up at 0530, shower and change, and usually catch the 0620 JetCat to Circular Quay. I pull a few yards, taking bags up or down, and then go for first boff. Usually about 10 or 11 o'clock is the first split, sometimes accompanied by a zob. Lunch boff rolls around and I go for my 1/2 hour break. More bag carrying, sometimes a few room checks, maybe a pick-up from Mac Street, possibly a group pull. When it comes to the end of the shift, I make sure I have collected my split, check the next shift time and head home. If I have the energy, I'll go for a surf, but today I pulled an extra long shift, and it hurt plus I feel so drained I dont think I could manage to paddle out, so I sit here, out of the thunderstorms and type.
The work speak has been interesting to understand, but learning Aussie slang has been better. I always used to say "no worries", but it seems to have aquired additional vowels. "Ay" can be said at the end of any sentance as can "but", e.g. "It's busy today ay" or "it's hot today but". Both are used rhetorically and are not questions. I was always hanging on to peoples sentances, expecting more to be said after "I didnt win in the lottery today but." I don't get it, but I have to admit to saying it. This shocked me when I said it. I was out surfing, and I have got to know a few of the locals. Sitting out the back, I was talking to one particular bloke I know, about the waves and I said "Yeah, it was better yesterday; its closing out more today but." I could feel my brain say to my mouth "but what?". I hope to recover from these language problems soon.<
I said I get up at 0530, when in fact the hostel cat, while insufferably cute, jumps in through the window at 4am and requests our attentions and food. This time of the morning is never that good for me. The peculiarities of this cat never cease to amaze me; it turns its nose up at smoked salmon, fresh ham, beef and spag-bol, but hoovers up cat biscuits as if the pigeons and roaches will eat them first, which they might.
Yesterday at work was slightly different, as I managed to leave work early, and I met Cathy to head towards Hyde Park. As we came out of the underground, we were met with a sight of thousands of people. I have been feeling particularly anti-American and anti-Blair lately and found my channel of release through the peace march in Sydney. Fortunately, after seeing that thousands marched in the U.S. Im now not anti-American, rather anti-Bush. Dubya and his intellectually stunted colleages seem hell-bent on creating hell, and get upset when anyone criticises them, plus lambasting foreign governments and worldwide public opinion. The U.S. Ambassador to Australia criticised the opposition leader Mr Crean for opposing the P.M. Mr Howard regarding Howards support for the U.S.A. Another example of U.S. government sticking its nose in where it doesnt belong. How dare he interfere with the politics of another country where he is only a guest. The ambassador was suitably castigated the next day.
My visa means that I can't work at the hotel any more, due to the 3 month limit for any one employer, so I can concentrate on getting an I.T. contract out here, and maybe a little bit of surfing. If I dont get anything within a month then Cathy and I have decided to make a break for it, as we cant hang about in Sydney for much longer if we arent working. It is just a city after all, and there is so much more to see out here, like all of the east coast, the west coast, a little of the south coast and some of the north coast, plus all the stuff in the middle.
Seeing as I stop working within the next few days, Im going to start looking for a car or van, as well as more work, as well as maybe another surfboard. Well, I think I have earnt it.
The work speak has been interesting to understand, but learning Aussie slang has been better. I always used to say "no worries", but it seems to have aquired additional vowels. "Ay" can be said at the end of any sentance as can "but", e.g. "It's busy today ay" or "it's hot today but". Both are used rhetorically and are not questions. I was always hanging on to peoples sentances, expecting more to be said after "I didnt win in the lottery today but." I don't get it, but I have to admit to saying it. This shocked me when I said it. I was out surfing, and I have got to know a few of the locals. Sitting out the back, I was talking to one particular bloke I know, about the waves and I said "Yeah, it was better yesterday; its closing out more today but." I could feel my brain say to my mouth "but what?". I hope to recover from these language problems soon.<
I said I get up at 0530, when in fact the hostel cat, while insufferably cute, jumps in through the window at 4am and requests our attentions and food. This time of the morning is never that good for me. The peculiarities of this cat never cease to amaze me; it turns its nose up at smoked salmon, fresh ham, beef and spag-bol, but hoovers up cat biscuits as if the pigeons and roaches will eat them first, which they might.
Yesterday at work was slightly different, as I managed to leave work early, and I met Cathy to head towards Hyde Park. As we came out of the underground, we were met with a sight of thousands of people. I have been feeling particularly anti-American and anti-Blair lately and found my channel of release through the peace march in Sydney. Fortunately, after seeing that thousands marched in the U.S. Im now not anti-American, rather anti-Bush. Dubya and his intellectually stunted colleages seem hell-bent on creating hell, and get upset when anyone criticises them, plus lambasting foreign governments and worldwide public opinion. The U.S. Ambassador to Australia criticised the opposition leader Mr Crean for opposing the P.M. Mr Howard regarding Howards support for the U.S.A. Another example of U.S. government sticking its nose in where it doesnt belong. How dare he interfere with the politics of another country where he is only a guest. The ambassador was suitably castigated the next day.
My visa means that I can't work at the hotel any more, due to the 3 month limit for any one employer, so I can concentrate on getting an I.T. contract out here, and maybe a little bit of surfing. If I dont get anything within a month then Cathy and I have decided to make a break for it, as we cant hang about in Sydney for much longer if we arent working. It is just a city after all, and there is so much more to see out here, like all of the east coast, the west coast, a little of the south coast and some of the north coast, plus all the stuff in the middle.
Seeing as I stop working within the next few days, Im going to start looking for a car or van, as well as more work, as well as maybe another surfboard. Well, I think I have earnt it.
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