tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86159328811666158922024-02-18T21:19:36.975-08:00Shared MemoriesA blog about life, travel, and the pursuit of happiness.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14653828700996892260noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615932881166615892.post-41379086153309731072013-04-18T21:28:00.001-07:002013-04-18T21:28:11.013-07:00No RegretsHello! And welcome back. This post is about recent happenings, what's next in life, and some fun colloquialisms...and then a couple songs to serenade you.<br />
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What's Happened Recently?<br />
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Well I'm glad you (errr...I) asked. I went to that training session in Sydney. After staying at the Carnivore (sic) Lodge: I stayed with Gaby, Josh, and Adrian...we'll say "family friends" for simplicity's sake. They should be getting a bottle of wine and some chocolates as a token of my appreciation sometime around when I'm writing this. I came back and fished for some info from the company as to when I'd possibly start. Yada yada yada, I got a call last week to say I'd be teaching a training session on their company's processes this Wednesday to Friday as a "checkout" (verification) that I can do it at their level.<br />
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Now, at this point, you should be asking yourself: "Nick, I'm reading this on Thursday...which I know to be your Friday...how are you writing this AND teaching/working?" Or at very least you're reading this sometime later and wondering why I'm obviously talking in retrospect. Well, you, my intelligent and astute reader, are quite clever. I made it past day one of the training session, or rather to the morning of day 2...and I walked out. For the remainder of this story I'm going to have to be a tease...in other words, let's grab a drink and I'll talk you through my logic (or possible lack thereof) for leaving.<br />
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Have I had other interviews/opportunities? Yes! Wow, yes. It's strange how many seem to come up. For instance, "Gabs" (Gaby) put my name "in the hat" for her company. I like to think it's because I'm good looking (HA!), but maybe it's because at some point I said something smart...or, more likely, she's very kind. Also, I went ahead and had an interview with a company the same day I walked out on the other company. It went well...but who knows? Theoretically...that company could even hire me in the States and I could work there... OR I could be based in the States and travel to Australia for periods of time to work. Even with these possibilities, I have reached a breaking point and I "can't be fucked" (they say that here to say they don't want to do something...I like it!). <br />
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So with all this, I'm leaving...or rather, I'm headed back State-side. I told my plans to my group of friends here and they were tear-jerkingly good about it. "We're going to miss you, you're part of the <i>crew</i>!" Notice the italics on the last part? Slight tangent: when I left, my mother thought it a good idea to buy me a kid's book (see below). I found this quite strange or at very least condescending that that's where she thought my reading level was. Turns out the book is about this kid who's having a "terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day" and at the end of each of his rants about his bad day...he says he's going to move to Australia. Well, I've had that book with me every step of this journey and I thought it might be fun to use it as a bit of a "year book" and have the friends I've made here sign it before I head back (I won't be reading their messages until I get home). Sure, maybe it's lame. But maybe it's just right too. Someday, sitting in my pajamas on a Sunday, getting all nostalgic and teary eyed, and being able to whip out some good memories of this trip and how the people I've met made it worthwhile...I don't really care that it's lame. This as close to scrapbooking as I can muster...<br />
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Some Occurrences:<br />
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- Whilst doing my end-of-the-day-feedback for that "checkout", the instructor said: "I can't tell if what I'm saying is landing or not, you have an unusually difficult face to read." I laughed (with him or at him, I'm not sure). I informed him "I play poker". Which, really, was bullshit. The reason I had a total blank stare is because I was thinking about a million other things than his critique of my teaching. "Oh, I did your style of teaching out of order for that particular slide? Totally. I super seriously regret it and see the value in you pointing it out." Or rather, "note to self, this guy is pointing out things that matter a lot to him but not explaining why they should matter towards teaching a concept in general...I wonder if I'll be in Melbourne next week to care about these things. I wonder how much flights cost right now. I wonder if he knows he's sounding more like he's part of a cult than a teacher of business processes. I wonder if I decided to do this for a living if I'd be an indoctrinated automaton as well." These were my thoughts...he didn't stand a chance against that amount of ADD and rationalized apathy. Poor fella. But seriously, I left them on good terms (feel free to ask me for the email I sent to them as a wrap-up and my followup phone calls with them). There's truly no reason to be an ass and leave anyone with a sour taste. They're human, just like me, and deserve to be treated well.<br />
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- I "interviewed" (insert laugh-track here) with a guy to be a tech-lead (or whatever the hell) for an Asian fashion website back in January-ish. He emailed me recently to ask if I wanted to help him with "Adobe systems", because he remembered my expertise in that. Well, sufficed to say, I'm quite happy someone's memory is worse than my own. I have not responded; I'm hoping he's up to his ears in Kabuki (yes, I realize this is Japanese and leaves out a GIANT part of the Asian countries) and doesn't notice my rudeness. I saw it bud, I just don't know how to answer you seriously.<br />
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- I received an email from the "modeling agency" I worked with that gave me a card (a conglomeration) of head-shots they send to their clients (TV shows, etc). It's kind of like when you very first hear your recorded voice and say, "people tolerate me even though I sound like this!?" except that I now know how I sound AND how I look...and not only that, but how I look when I'm at my supposed BEST. I feel like a house-wife hating on those "skinny bitches" of models when they read trashy glamour magazines. Yes yes, I realize this was a vain rant. Go get a mess of pictures taken of yourself and try to tell me your vanity doesn't increase ten-fold. <br />
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What's Next?<br />
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- I'm coming back to the States...obviously. Sheesh! But seriously...<br />
- I'll be between Phoenix and Tucson whilst looking for work so feel free to write me whenever and I'll do my best to meet up.<br />
- Applying to jobs in 3 cities: Denver, Austin, and SF.<br />
- I'll have a new phone number within a few days of returning, email/FB me if you want it. <br />
- My job search will be conducted via "head hunter"...because god dammit I'm tired of doing my own job search! Let's be honest though, I'll be doing my own job search in parallel with the head hunter. <br />
- *Hopefully* there will be a climbing trip - post haste - upon my return. To my climbing friends at home: be ready!<br />
- I've been toying with writing up an exposé on a juxtaposition of Australian politics with US politics. Maybe I'll do that. I'm not sure I foresee anyone finding this interesting...except for myself.<br />
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Colloquialisms (Australian or otherwise) I've Picked Up Since Being Here (thanks Gen for the help with these):<br />
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- "How ya going?" <br />
Definition: "How are you?"<br />
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- "I was just taking the piss"<br />
Definition: "I was just joking with you"<br />
Anecdote: When a friend told me she was doing this, I asked her: "why would anyone want to take someone's piss?" When thought of literally, this phrase is at best toilet humor and at worst an autoerotic disorder.<br />
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- "Grouse"<br />
Definition: "Cool"<br />
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- "Partner"<br />
Definition: "Long-time girlfriend OR boyfriend OR wife/husband"<br />
Anecdote: I thought a friend of mine was a lesbian (not that there's anything wrong with it...ahem, Seinfeld) for a while because of the liberal use of "partner" here. Personally, I really like that this is done because it shouldn't matter whether the person your friend/acquaintance is referring to is male or female, it just matters that they love them.<br />
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- "Rock up"<br />
Definition: "To get somewhere." E.g. I rocked up to the crag, ready to go. We rocked up to the bar and had a couple drinks. I rocked up to the interview, ready to espouse my American-made business skills and knock their socks off.<br />
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- "Chockers"<br />
Definition: "Full" It comes from "chock-a-block" as opposed to what I thought, which was: "chock-full"<br />
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- "Cheeky"<br />
Definition: "Smart ass." I believe it's a derivative of "tongue-in-cheek"...I know I could look it up and verify....but I'd be disappointed if I found out I was wrong! I heard this phrase a lot from people describing me...I'm sure you're all surprised.<br />
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- "Maths"<br />
Definition: "math." They add an "s" to it...which actually is probably correct seeing as though it's "mathematics" for the full word.<br />
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- "Zed"<br />
Definition: "Z." E.g. The bank ANZ is pronounced "A-N-Zed". And I will never understand that.<br />
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- "Heych"<br />
Definition: "H." Likewise to "Zed", H is no longer a letter...it's a word. Ask an Australian about their HR department...you'll wonder why it's no longer an acronym but a word and a letter (Heych R).<br />
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I'm sure there's many more, but these are the ones I can think of currently. I had been meaning to make a list of some colorful ones for your/our entertainment so this is my attempt!<br />
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Don't Worry:<br />
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-diB65scQU (nevermind the odd music video, I think you'll get the point)<br />
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vml8gRsFdIE (skip to the minute 1:09 for the chorus and share some laughs with me)<br />
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Cheers and be well. I hope to see all of you soon.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14653828700996892260noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615932881166615892.post-84626970390663256312013-03-17T01:14:00.000-07:002013-03-17T01:14:18.015-07:00How Did I Get Here?Ok, first off, I realize just how hyperbolic the title of this is...but hopefully I'll persuade you of its appropriateness by the end of this post. This post is about me kind of, sort of, but not really finding a job.<br />
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Complexity, thy name is life:<br />
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I'm sitting here in my "twin room" (which really just means twin bed and a shared bathroom) in Sydney writing this post after speaking to the "Landlord" (for lack of a better term) of this "Lodge" (see picture below). As he took down my name from my "Ahhh Arizona!" Driver's Licence he said my name aloud: "Nickah Alanah Nashah". But why am I here meeting this lovely Asian fellow with the fanny pack? Let's go back in time a couple weeks.<br />
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I had a second interview with the company on March 4th where I had to present from a power point about Six Sigma. Skilled in the art of bullshittery, I apparently impressed them enough for a third interview. I found myself last week, last Wednesday (the 13th), in Sydney to conquer all other candidates before me and to enlighten the managing director on the finer points of American tenacity. I succeeded/failed. <br />
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Apparently, there was another candidate who was "equal on all other fronts" except that he was an Australian. Mmmk, on to the next dashing of hopes...or was it? "Nick, they were very impressed with you and would like to try something they've never done before." Well that just sounds overwhelmingly ominous right there doesn't it? Turns out, it was. "They'd like for you to attend a two-week leadership training course on Monday." He told me this last Thursday on a 9:30pm phone call, aka 4 days prior. Well, swell, right? Perhaps. I was to fly myself out and pay for accommodations as well. Sufficed to say, I did this ($1k later) and am here now.<br />
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Tomorrow morning I start my training. Supposedly, if I do well (which how does one do well in training?) and the stars align ever so slightly, there will be work for me in Melbourne in my near future along with the all together reasonable possibility (so many qualifying words) that I may get a more permanent work visa. How could I say no? It's (tragically) the most promising job prospect I have had, even if it does require an upfront compromise of my dignity and my wallet. To say that I'm disenfranchised with this whole finding-a-job-in-another-country process...would be like saying: <insert your own bleak analogy here>. I feel this post has been melodramatic enough! Let's look at this optimistically shall we?<br />
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Optimism, my long-time friend:<br />
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I've been here in Australia for 6 months come the 22nd. I have met incredible people who have, per their introduction at the start of this sentence, been incredible to me. I have gone outdoor climbing for the last 7 out of 10 weekends. I have had "practice" with 11 interviews (8 at different companies/consultancy firms and 3 at this current employer) and 2 "psychometrics" tests. Hell, I'm at a baker's dozen for interviews/psychometrics! I have seen multiple cities here in Australia with two of my best friends and many new ones. I have learned what true hospitality is all about (not referring to my short stint in bartending...but rather through different friends and camping expeditions). And I have been in 5 different episodes of TV shows (3 on Neighbours and 2 on Winners and Losers).<br />
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And now, I'm in Sydney. Sydney! The idea of this even a year ago would've seemed preposterous. For all the amenities this "lodge" leaves me wanting for...it's a stone's throw from the Sydney Harbor Bridge and more Thai restaurants than even I know what to do with. This job, even given what I've stated above, is by far the best chance I have of a long-term stay. It pays well, the people seem competent, and it seems to have a good reputation. Oh, and I'd like the work! That part is not trivial.<br />
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As I write this, I've worked with a local non-profit for 6 months now. Doing their financial forecastings, helping with business strategy, and writing their business plan (finishing this tonight!). I can rightfully say that once they get funding, I helped start a business. All of this while, technically, travelling! Even if this "goes tits up" (a new phrase I've been taught) I'll have had some great experiences and some highly hilarious ones as well. For everything I've done wrong, I've stumbled on a lot of right.<br />
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Pictures:<br />
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I can't even pronounce the name...but I think the lodge eats meat. I can't be sure.</div>
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Who knew a hand dryer could be endearing? This one, with it's interesting title of "Rorsche" 2400 Turbo (I can only assume I'm supposed to conjure up images of a Porsche), decided its logo should be a kangaroo and an Emu...because when I think turbo...I think kangaroos and Emus.</div>
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A friend recently gave me a free ticket to a networking event with Engineers and Lawyers. The drinks were free... Anyway, this is the reverent masses (~200 ppl) listening to one of the worst public speakers I've heard in a long time. They were far more respectful. I decided to attack the bar and the hors d'oeuvres (yes, I had to look up how to spell that...twice). </div>
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This is the bottle of wine a friend bought for me (far too long ago) that I will be celebrating with should I get a/the job. It's a Durif...which as I'm told, is a fancier version of a Shiraz.</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14653828700996892260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615932881166615892.post-56703141735001098992013-02-13T19:56:00.001-08:002013-02-13T19:56:49.607-08:00More Climbing/Interviews and SentimentalityGreetings! We haven't chatted in a while so it's probably time for an update eh? Well, I'd love to say I've got new and exciting news...but that's horribly untrue...so I won't! Instead, you'll have to settle for more climbing and interview news. There's a touch of a section of sentimental at the end. Enjoy!<br />
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Climbing:<br />
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I have gone out climbing the past 4 out 5 weekends. I talked about the first two, but here's some news on the last two: ....they've been amazing. I'm climbing with the guy who wrote the book on one of the major mountains here; his name is Josef (Joe) Goding. Among other compatriots I am climbing with an Australian surfer, an ex-lawyer, an ex-pat from South Africa, and Gen (from the last blog post, no pic this time, check FaceBook). Pictures are below (in order)...<br />
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This is Joe leading the route he had just bolted. This is known as a "first ascent" (FA). I got to do that route as part of the FA...even though mine wasn't technically an FA...but my name'll be in the next guidebook! Ha.</div>
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This is Matt. He's a surfer and a "tradie" here. Great personality and goofy jokes.</div>
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This is Metani. She was a lawyer and so therefore we have fun with verbal sparring, all in jest. She climbs extremely well and is giving my vocabulary a run for its money.</div>
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This is Mark. He grew up in South Africa and his brother works to prevent Rhino poaching. His stories and his accent are equally interesting.</div>
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This is me. I don't smile...because I'm tough. Super tough...</div>
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Interviews:<br />
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Dammit I've had a lot of these things. Instead of painfully telling you about each, I'll list them out and I'll list all the current job prospects. You'll get a sense by the end of it why I wrote the sentimental section below.<br />
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<u>Interviews</u><br />
1. Project Manager, Web development company<br />
2. Project Coordinator, FMCG company<br />
3. Project Coordinator, Software company regarding energy sector<br />
4. Tech Editor, Fashion magazine online (heh, fuck it, why not right?)<br />
5. Project Engineer/Manager, Traffic camera company (foothold in the states as well)<br />
6. Client Relationship Manager, Consulting company<br />
7. Business Intelligence Analyst, Energy consulting company<br />
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<u>Current Prospects</u><br />
1. Brian (family friend) has talked about his company hiring for a position here. He's putting my name in the hat.<br />
2. Joe (climbing buddy) is a project manager here and is shopping my CV around as we speak. <br />
3. Honeywell called this morning for a project manager position...and talked about my Visa status at the end of the call...sigh.<br />
4. Cara (CEO of ReFab, the non-profit I'm working with) is shopping me around amongst her extensive network.<br />
5. One of the recruiters I interviewed with recommended me to a different recruiter. He'll call tomorrow, his name is Bill...friendly chap.<br />
6. One of the "mentors" for the ReFab non-profit recommended me to her consulting company.<br />
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Dejection:<br />
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By all accounts, reading the above it would just seem like a matter of time before something came together here. What I can tell you is this: I'm exhausted. I'm not sure how many more visa conversations I can have with companies with it ending: "you're great for the role, but your visa is a problem". If the reason I weren't being hired was something I could change, it'd be fine; this is something I cannot. It is weighing much heavier on me than I'd like to admit. The Current Prospects list also looks quite formidable, to which I'd agree. Alas, the previous prospects (propects that did not come to fruition) list would dwarf this current one. For the more astute of you, yes, this is a call to action for myself. I'm not sure yet what that action is but I'll likely know by next blog post. By then (2-4 weeks), all the current prospects should have run their course and things will be more certain.<br />
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Until then, as always: You're missed and I hope to hear from you.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14653828700996892260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615932881166615892.post-78413029308511893132013-01-24T18:02:00.001-08:002013-02-11T20:46:05.335-08:00Climbing and InterviewsHello and welcome back. In this installment we'll be discussing recent climbing trips and job interviews, things are 'moving up'...<br />
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I've been climbing the past two weekends and will be headed out in a few hours for a third weekend in a row. The two trips below were to the Grampians ("the Gramps") and Mt. Arapiles ("Araps"). The majority of the climbing has been "trad" climbing. The first trip was with Andy (the 'fro), Evan (the mo'), and Genevieve (...clever handle is in the works, she took the pictures). Second trip was minus The Mo' and plus Helene (pronounced LN, she's French/Irish).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2H0JGNWRhnf6EIS1h5hpQkz71F-9oe8ZE0_0F8CQaLlspWn7epCBQaPm4uGLnkPdQLUnBRC_wVkj7HEov2KPF0LH1m32rBu2tlIw1HxtxJJJAscwvkFCXzhvxniZMk8Pj4mvJHGpK8sSd/s1600/Gramps+Beauty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2H0JGNWRhnf6EIS1h5hpQkz71F-9oe8ZE0_0F8CQaLlspWn7epCBQaPm4uGLnkPdQLUnBRC_wVkj7HEov2KPF0LH1m32rBu2tlIw1HxtxJJJAscwvkFCXzhvxniZMk8Pj4mvJHGpK8sSd/s320/Gramps+Beauty.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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A really cool photo to show how beautiful it was. We had perfect weather both days; it was overcast and probably mid-70's. Amazing.</div>
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Evan and I at the top of a climb. Evan's doing the work (good on em') and I'm doing what a casting director has said I do very well...staring off.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHNwLBtO9wFfio-FzGfC6Pcd5086Yk8XXNQ6E9Q5AncZynKvoGy8p0safSHh0XWrT2yPJK4cUesmaAiT27KObSPNWyg5vwK8xke-PDlyfRAk9ZOhgKdq9EhFng1FjUormEygFyvDIMlmrX/s1600/Gramps+Evan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHNwLBtO9wFfio-FzGfC6Pcd5086Yk8XXNQ6E9Q5AncZynKvoGy8p0safSHh0XWrT2yPJK4cUesmaAiT27KObSPNWyg5vwK8xke-PDlyfRAk9ZOhgKdq9EhFng1FjUormEygFyvDIMlmrX/s320/Gramps+Evan.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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The mo' in action. He used one of the slings to tie the book to his harness so he could climb with it. Clever chap. There were a lot of good mo' quotes over the weekend, most can't be included here due to offensiveness and/or the need for plausible deniability.</div>
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Kangaroo and its Joey. Yes, you do actually come across this. It was CRAZY how many kangaroos there were and how close to the camp they got. We saw this little gal on the way back from the second day of climbing.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIDSkBXOR2coEYt9RkIw8Ir88YHzG_gQIBp1_oeZwA4g36QzBxBFFtkIDAv0HwfU-lYZzNRR0hGUyasLuZb-4dNIBUWYJod5ALWDUCWpxrzPkxOl0INr0bWTBB4qsG79oJRAesDfv7LRfh/s1600/Gramps+Koala.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIDSkBXOR2coEYt9RkIw8Ir88YHzG_gQIBp1_oeZwA4g36QzBxBFFtkIDAv0HwfU-lYZzNRR0hGUyasLuZb-4dNIBUWYJod5ALWDUCWpxrzPkxOl0INr0bWTBB4qsG79oJRAesDfv7LRfh/s320/Gramps+Koala.jpg" width="221" /></a></div>
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We only saw one Koala...and it was the GIANT KOALA (Gen is next to it). What!? In case you were wondering, it is certainly random...but...less random than you'd think (yes, I absolutely want to go see all of these!): <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia's_big_things">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia's_big_things</a></div>
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The next trip was to the Grampians, I have less photos but where the quantity is lacking...I hope the quality makes up for it.</div>
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I did a "night climb" (I love you mom) with Gen. I do not recommend night trad climbing. Night sport was fun, night trad is frustrating and slightly more dangerous than I'd like. I thought I was smiling in the picture above but apparently my angst got the better of me. Either way, got a trad rack pic in. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPc1ymSbv8smIrkvQxiP2IZjHIUbQiY2RFzYwwgowmBge-Redh4LTunyZY2IfnIF_o4cUYRbAYG2yhfSLQLFOYAzAnvrmktQid9M0FxoGbg1BWuVk3ehuDzKAEwBX1xVKkv43FCPrujchz/s1600/IMG_7333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPc1ymSbv8smIrkvQxiP2IZjHIUbQiY2RFzYwwgowmBge-Redh4LTunyZY2IfnIF_o4cUYRbAYG2yhfSLQLFOYAzAnvrmktQid9M0FxoGbg1BWuVk3ehuDzKAEwBX1xVKkv43FCPrujchz/s320/IMG_7333.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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My pasty self decided enough was enough and I needed to bronze my arms and upper thighs. Result: I looked like an asshole the entire day and now have purple streaks on my legs where I got sunburned. You may also notice my extreme aptitude for fashion by gandering at my footwear. Are those house slippers? Yes, yes they are dear friend. At least I was comfortable while I was burning my outsides!</div>
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Interviewing:</div>
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I've had 3 interviews for jobs that I'd actually. like. to. have. in the past 3 weeks. I'll talk about them a touch here. No photos for this section, you'll be glad after you read it. If you're curious just how neurotic I am, here's my google <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-k9JYwUnG6GOUE3NkMxcEc0dlU/edit" target="_blank">spreadsheet</a> for how I've been keeping track of these things.</div>
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Interview 1: This was with a consulting company that does app design and back-end web design, I would've been a Project Manager for them. Did I get all the way there and then realize my fly was undone? Yes. Did I possibly make it awkward for the receptionist when she likely heard an audible "ZIIIPPP"? Yes. The interview went well but another candidate had more experience, on to the next!</div>
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Interview 2: This was for a FMCG company as a project coordinator for a software team. Let's be honest, the company isn't the most exciting (they do expiration dates for foods). The position still would've been cool and I would've been happy to work there, alas...I was "overqualified". Which, really begs the question: "If I'm so damn overqualified why did you interview me in the first place???" Or perhaps the followup: "Were you hoping I had that amount of experience but was an idiot and you could therefore justify hiring me??" It's cool, it's not like I'm bitter or anything...</div>
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Interview 3: This was yesterday, at a company that develops software for energy companies. Heard back from the recruiter today, the company was "very impressed". They also told me in the interview I was "overqualified" but that they were good with that. Thank god. I might've lost my shit (blew a gasket, gone helter skelter, freaked the fuck out) on them. Apparently, according to the recruiter: "they went as far to say that they would've already made you an offer if it weren't for your visa". Ah, and there's the rub.</div>
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If I get the job, you'll know via FaceBook. Chat to all of you soon; as always, stay in touch and let me know how YOU'RE doing. Some random photos are below, enjoy!</div>
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Cheers.</div>
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Kristin sent this to me. This is how they do coffees here...and it would've been nice to have MONTHS AGO. I can't be the only one who's completely lost at Starbucks and elsewhere. Thanks for the send Kristin, very helpful! Real quick though: a "long black" is an espresso with water added to it and a "short black" is just the espresso shot. They RARELY do drip coffee here and when they do, it's boutique and not the 7-11 stuff we're used to.</div>
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Venus and Serena Williams playing doubles against two random girls who got their asses handed to them by the Williams sisters. It was surreal to see them in person. Btw...they're huge! Not in a bad way, just in a physically imposing I'm-going-to-eat-your-children-if-you-beat-me sorta way.</div>
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We got free passes to the main stadium to see the last match of the day. Helps to be lucky! Thanks random people!</div>
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A picture that Richard took that I think came out really well. Apparently he didn't have any pictures of himself being here either. Anyway, city in the background over the Yarra river.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14653828700996892260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615932881166615892.post-25497264338717419912013-01-17T17:56:00.002-08:002013-01-17T17:56:39.693-08:00VisitorsHello and welcome back. This post is about a couple visitors and the travels we had. <br />
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Next post will be some trips I had recently that my mom will hate, some job news, and some notes on Australian culture that Kristin and Richard helped with. Until then...<br />
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Visitors:<br />
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Kristin and Richard went Southwards. Kristin booked her trip 3 months ahead of time and Richard booked his trip 4 days ahead of time. It was great to have such different visitors, I again believe I'm lucky to have such good friends. Below is a list of things we did and whom with, this recap begins at the end of the last post (5 days in to K's trip):<br />
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- In Sydney we: walked the bridge, toured the opera house (I fought this...and was delightfully surprised to find it very worthwhile), went to Dawe's Point (awesome), road some ferries, toured an Aboriginal museum (price: free; quality: free...phew!), walked along Bondi and Bronte beach, rented bikes and toured Manly beach, and went through an arts market. I took next to zero pictures throughout all of this except for what's below:</div>
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This was at a free art museum (so pictures are allowed). I think what the artist was trying to say here is quite self evident...</div>
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A giant mirror outside of the museum: sometimes I have nostalgia over Optical engineering...</div>
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- Flew back into Melbourne and watched a Cricket match on Boxing Day (Kristin). Ok, a couple things: One, cricket is more boring than baseball. If you're a fan of baseball and golf and would like to see a game along the lines of baseball but at the speed of golf, well, here it is! Most golf matches are played over four days...and so are Cricket Test Matches. We saw day one, which we heard is the best one to see in the entire year. After 3 hours...we decided to leave. I can honestly say, neither of us knew the score and it was not for lack of trying. Two, Boxing Day. Every year on the 26th of December, the UK and Australia (and maybe other countries?) celebrate Boxing Day. The point of it is the day when all of the rich would box up presents and give them to servants and less fortunate. </div>
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As we sat there, a group of 5 guys behind us kept shouting/chanting: "what do we think of Kenny!? He's alright. What do we think of the ref!? He fucked a bricklayer! Twice last night and once in the morning." After much searching online through cricket forums and urban dictionary...I still have no idea what the hell they were talking about...but I guess it's a bad thing?</div>
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- Yarra Valley winery tour (Kristin). We went on a trip with the "Wines Guys" (it's a pun for "wise guys") which is Italian themed and they basically make jokes the whole time while driving you to 4 different wineries. It was fun...and I got zero pictures again. Luckily Kristin pulled the trigger...er...shutter. Um...I'll be going again...it was beautiful...and slightly inebriated (it = me...but only in a classy and composed way of course). We made friends and CV found it's way into more hands...I realize this makes me sound like I'm whoring myself...I don't care. :)</div>
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- I MOVED!! (me) I'm in a new place. My roommates are amazing. But I can honestly say I'm extremely happy with the roommates I have. I now live in Richmond, if you need a new address, send me an email. Next time I move I'll be by myself, count on it...I will not be able to find better roommates. I'll be living here until mid-March because I'm sub-letting the room.</div>
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- Fireworks for New Year (Kristin).</div>
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In case you forgot what fireworks look like...they don't look different in the Southern Hemisphere.</div>
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- Richard and his mom (mum if you're English) joined us Jan 1st. He brought light heartedness, new ideas for places to visit, lots of walking tours...and general good times. I managed to take zero pictures of his/their visit...this is obviously a theme... Hopefully he'll share some before we reconvene. </div>
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- We all walked the botanical gardens, which I HIGHLY recommend you do if you're here. Which reminds me, I need to write up some suggestions for touristy stuff here in Melbourne. </div>
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- Kristin took off Jan 3rd. How you should remember her:</div>
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And how I will remember her!</div>
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- Richard took off the next day and I still have zero pictures. Refer to Kristin's FaceBook page and it'll sooth what ails you as far as pics.</div>
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We'll chat soon, friends. Hope to have some good news by then...all I can tell you at this point is I've had 2 interviews in 2 weeks, multiple call backs, and a couple of very promising recruiter chats. This guy (me) is jobward bound...dammit!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14653828700996892260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615932881166615892.post-60222639601625315512012-12-20T05:36:00.002-08:002012-12-20T05:36:22.554-08:00Ketchup and Blog ArtHello, it's "Christmas time" here in Australia and I hope you're all feeling the holiday relaxation as well. I must admit...it's even stranger hearing "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas..." here than in Arizona. Anyway, this post is devoted to you and I, catching up like old friends that we are or once were and a small snip-it of my intentions for this blog.<br />
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Ketchup (chronologically enumerated for your viewing pleasure/convenience)<br />
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1. I "quit" the door-to-door salesman job...even though they referred to me as a Business Development Manager. I'll spare you the details, but I'll give you the good bit (which also happens to be self-indulging) that when I quit, the boss emailed me back and said "no need to apologise [sic] Nick, it's never a waste of time meeting quality people." I'm not sure if this was a legit compliment or if he's just a good manager of people...but I know how I'm going to take it because my ego balloon could stand some inflation.<br />
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2. I finished my write-up for the recycling company's financials. It's good to have something to be proud of again. It went over extremely well and I see a lot of future potential from it. I look forward to future work with ReFab. And yes, I realize this sounds like a PC thing to say, but really, it's good! It ended up being 20+ pages of spreadsheets and writing. I had my Excel fix quenched for the time being.<br />
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3. I went on a trip and got a disgraceful amount of hiking in. The trip was to Mt. Beauty and Mt. Bogong with my Dutch friend, Babette. She's headed back to (as I like to call) "Dutchland" soon; she'll be missed. During our trip we saw areas that looked as though we were in Scotland and areas that were beautiful coast. I included some pictures of the trip at the end of the post...apparently just to mess up my enumerated chronologicalness.<br />
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4a. I was offered to audition for a commercial (which would be a series of 92 commercials). Alas, it was right during the time when I'd start my trip on the Great Ocean Road from Melbourne to Adelaide so I had to decline. But! Mark my words: this mug will be in your living room soon. To not completely blow off the prospect, I wrote the casting director and said: "...please keep my blonde and pale self in mind should any sunscreen commercials come up..." As an "actor", I feel it is important to show my depth of skills. E.g. making light of what could've been a lot of money and demonstrating my willingness to be on a pink bottle with a little dog biting at my bikini bottom (I hope everyone caught that reference...otherwise that sounds very strange, *cough* Coppertone *cough*).<br />
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4b. I was an extra on Winners and Losers. The story is a loser...so it ends here. Although my mom asked which one was I, the winner or loser. Neither I suppose, which is why they pay me so shitty...so maybe I was the latter after all!<br />
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5. I'm on a trip (we're in the present)! On Kangaroo Island I made sure to tell Kristin that the "Aussie Wave" was dubbed so because there are so many flies in Australia and they are JERKS and that when people are waving their hand in front of their face it is the "Aussie Wave" (true story, seriously). It may also be noted that she had more flies on her than I did, I quietly said to myself it's because she's dead inside and they're attracted to that (I kid! Although I should've told her the joke at the time because now it just sounds mean...). But let's be honest, it was one less fly (15 compared to 16...seriously that many!) and truly I smelled quite bad after not showering for 2 days so the more likely answer is even the flies were repulsed by me. Also, as I asked her to take a picture of all the flies on my back; she had 3 cameras on her. She has her new DSLR (which is awesome), her pink point-and-shoot, and her phone (which technically has a camera)...which led me to recall a song: "I think [she's] turning Japanese, I think [she's] turning Japanese, I really think so."<br />
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As I am writing this, we are currently in Sydney. Today, we saw the opera house while on a ferry (I've never been on public transport on the water...picture the same people you'd see on a train...but you're on a boat). We've eaten some excellent Thai food with Gaby (Ana's sister...Ana is my brother's girlfriend for those who don't know), Josh (Gaby's husband), and Adrian (Ana and Gaby's youngest brother) who all just took off today to head up the coast. Which, coincidentally, means they've entrusted us to watch their truly quite beautiful flat, by ourselves. I am continually impressed with how trusting people are here (we literally just met them yesterday). We leave Sunday back to Melbourne and we need to work out what we'll be doing for the remainder of the days here...which begs the question: "Nick, why are you writing in your blog instead of helping/planning?" I wish I had a better answer...I wish I had AN answer actually. It would appear ADD is not a passing fad. Below are a couple photos from the trip thus far:<br />
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Upon arrival: Tacos (not shown, but scrumptious) and beer. How is she so chipper!? I looked like hell for at least three days.</div>
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Great Ocean Road: 12 Apostles (two shown). We caught the sunrise. It. Was. Early. ...and worth it? You be the judge.</div>
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Sydney. Iconic. And also already posted on Facebook. I plagiarized myself!</div>
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6. We're in the future now. No, not "tomorrow-land" as I like to call Australia (we're a day ahead here); I mean that what follows are my plans once the New Year rolls 'round and the Mayans, as good as they were with calendars, were wrong. Or rather, what we're interpreting of a culture thousands of years ago is wrong. Below is a graph from a presentation Tracy Cobb (from Raytheon, NCS) very thoughtfully sent a couple months back that she got from "lululemon" (a perhaps yoga chain from Canada? Either way, good stuff). It basically says you should be setting goals in all aspects of your life so that you can achieve more than you would have otherwise...and it's also in pretty colors and small words so people like myself can learn good [sic]. And below that: my plans for the immediate future and some down and dirty blog talk.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOExjrW0EALpC-9iZfdCoNq0i_aD_d2jgAtwMFwgzRMkBmYqDPSlqRqo11ToVKe3YpDkZIsLuNgPQqvXgU8GzjpBals4un7N3cCgepPViZj0BnODvhimTgWoiE1na_I4lE_LY8f8ybI9n1/s1600/Goals.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOExjrW0EALpC-9iZfdCoNq0i_aD_d2jgAtwMFwgzRMkBmYqDPSlqRqo11ToVKe3YpDkZIsLuNgPQqvXgU8GzjpBals4un7N3cCgepPViZj0BnODvhimTgWoiE1na_I4lE_LY8f8ybI9n1/s320/Goals.tiff" width="320" /></a></div>
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6a. Get a job at a coffee shop. Better hours than a bar and you can actually talk to people. Oh, and I'd actually make money...weird concept nowadays.<br />
6b. Create list of companies I like the mission of and apply directly to them.<br />
6c. Literally start walking in the door of companies and selling myself to their HR department. "I think you guys suck at this, but I bet I could help you suck less at it." The pitch needs work...<br />
6d. Reinvest some time with the recruiters here. It's painful, yes, but dammit...maybe, just maybe...<br />
6e. Politely hassle the "modeling agency" for some gigs that will make me a millionaire...or at least a C list celebrity who occasionally gets free coffee because someone recognized his "get tested for HIV" ad in the subway. Seriously though, this is an ad in Melbourne. It's a guy in his scivvies (sp?) with both thumbs in them, pulling them out and he's looking down. In one, there's fire coming out. In another, there's confetti. If it were me...I'd have asked if the caption could be: "keep the party in your pants going, get tested today." Or perhaps: "Is there a party in your pants...or is it AIDS?"<br />
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The Art of Blogging...and My Take<br />
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As far as I can tell, the art of blogging is finding your own voice. It would seem to me that a blog should also have a purpose and not stray too far from that. This blog, has the foremost intention of travel, the second intention of life updates for family and friends, and lastly my pursuit of happiness. I implore you, should I deviate from this, do let me know. Because, I can get wordy and tangential at the drop of a hat...and that's just the adventure that you and I signed up for when reading/writing this...so keep me honest and on task.<br />
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I write this blog for so many reasons and I hope you appreciate that it's simultaneously therapeutic and communicative (equal parts for me and for you). So, if it gets boring, I apologize ahead of time, but those are just parts that are more for me or to let family know what's going on. Otherwise, enjoy and as always: keep in touch!<br />
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Cheers.<br />
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Pictures from Mt. Bogong and Mt Beauty:<br />
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I believe it's a "wombat" or maybe a fat squirrel with a cute little button nose. :)</div>
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Shutup Nick, this isn't Australia. Oh, but that's where you're wrong my friend. Truly, this does not even close to doing the area justice. But it's one of the myriad cool memories from it.</div>
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Currently on Mt. Beauty and looking out over the valley towards Mt. Bogong.</div>
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Well, you have a lot of ways to die here. Nevermind the wildlife, you need to beware of motorcyclists, turns in the road, and KANGAROOS!</div>
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Speaking of things that might kill you, never trust the elderly. They'll walk in front of you while you're driving. Is it bad eyesight? Maybe. Are they tempting death having gotten over the fear of it? Perhaps. Or do Australians just like putting up signs? Definitely.</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14653828700996892260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615932881166615892.post-44389390137590619992012-12-01T20:11:00.001-08:002012-12-01T20:14:05.744-08:00Audaciously HopeyThis post is about a life philosophy (it's sappy, feel free to skip), my seemingly unending optimism (also sappy/skippable), and a life update (aka the good stuff). Enjoy the read!<br />
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Hopefully Audaciously Hopey [sic]:<br />
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My philosophy in life, whether I've known it at the time or not, has been: If you're a good person to others then good things will in turn happen to you. I've been told by several people that I live "a charmed life" and I'd very much like to think it's due to this life philosophy coming full circle. Simply put, it's karma. Or, you could even say it's half of the "Golden Rule". Or...I'm just selfish and it makes me feel good to be a good person...so I do it.<br />
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A good friend once paraphrased a philosopher in saying (roughly): philosophical thought is not born out of contentedness/happiness with life. True, but philosophical thought is not always a way of life, it comes in ebbs and flows as does contentedness and happiness. My only point is...I'm not depressed, but I am searching for answers. So...if you have my mailing address here, please don't send Xanax/Prozac...but please do send good IPAs...they're not very abundant here yet.<br />
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As life has, at times, been "charmed", I can't say that is the current case. This is certainly one of the most stressful periods in my life and no, that is not hyperbole. This is by no means me complaining, just updating. I could go into all the reasons, but let's suffice it to say: I'd rather look towards the positive. Below are some things to be happy about:<br />
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- I'm in a great city<br />
- I've made some good climbing friends<br />
- One of the climbing friends made my outlook on jobs glass-half-full again (I know...I need to update the post about finding a job here, I'll do it *soon*)<br />
- Kristin gets here 2 weeks from today<br />
- She's bringing my trad rack (It's stuff for climbing. Mom: please send my helmet, love you)<br />
- We'll have a free place to stay in Sydney thanks to Ana's sister being awesome<br />
- We'll be doing the great ocean road<br />
- There will be much hiking and camping very soon<br />
- I have enough money to float myself here<br />
- I know who I am and as cheesy as it sounds: I like who I've chosen to be and who I'm striving to be<br />
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Life Update:<br />
<br />
Per my last entry, I was deciding whether to start a job as a BDM (let's be honest, sales rep). Alas, I cannot (repeat that sentence, but very dramatically/Shakespearean, and then you have my intended tone). I asked two very intelligent and likeminded friends whether I should do it, because I had entirely been delaying the start due to my gut feeling being to not do it. One said: "trust your gut" and the other said "you're too honest to be a salesman". Well, consider my gut reaffirmed. The remaining details of it are less than interesting, so I'll spare you. But, they did give me an iPad with 3g so it does beg the question of when I let them know I've officially quit... Ok, fine, jeez, I'll do it soon. I can't be a little bit of a bad person every now and then?<br />
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I'm doing another acting gig. Yes, I know it pays dirt. But as it turns out, dirt is more than I'm currently being paid. The TV show is called "Winners and Losers" and I've heard it's basically another trashy Soap Opera. There are no small parts, only small actors...and people who get paid to stand in the back of the scene. Anyway, I'm doing this because I can walk to the set/studio from my place and if nothing else these things always come with ridiculous stories.<br />
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Lastly, I applied to a job in Optics that was recommended to me from a manager at a place with a long acronym. He had a moustache for Movember and was balding...I immediately trusted him. Clearly, desperation can cause lapses in judgement. But nay, not this time. I knew by the finely trimmed whiskers resting on his upper lip that this was a man who understood the plight of life and was one dashingly gray sprouted lip-hair away from the remedy. I visited the website he so forthrightly recommended and applied via electronic mail to the job I so roughly was applicable for. Well, I was actually surprised how well I fit the candidate profile (let's pretend I'm still an engineer for just a moment...), but I certainly lacked a couple key components. They wanted someone with a PhD in physics and someone who had been published. Not to be done-in, I addressed those concerns in my application. I assured them: "Don't have: - PhD (Have a BS and an MBA) - Publication Record (I have a blog...? Hopefully humour is a plus...)". See what I did there? I spelled humor with a "u". I'm sure you'll be reading the blog of a renewed engineer by the end of next week.<br /><br /> Thank you to all of you who have written. Also, all blog comments and suggestions are very appreciated. Annnnnnd as always, let me know how you're doing!!!! :)<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14653828700996892260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615932881166615892.post-83903668002041242902012-11-19T20:29:00.000-08:002012-11-19T21:08:44.003-08:00Mistakes and GamblingHi there, welcome back! This week we'll be discussing cardinal business mistakes that I've made recently and a life gamble I'm currently debating internally. The business mistakes are fun, so I'll talk about those first and you, the illustrious reader, can decide if you'd like to join the life debate. Here goes.<br />
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Mistakes and Musings:<br />
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"Modeling" has been quite the mental trip. I've done three "extras" roles so far on Neighbours. The first was a "passerby", the next was a "bartender" (irony duly noted), and the last was a person on a date. As I was a bartender, the other extra I was "serving" had a - in honor of Janet Jackson - "wardrobe malfunction"...otherwise known as: her boob fell out of her dress. Did I see it? Yes. Did I awkwardly try to console her? Yes. Life doesn't prepare you for things like this. Her: "do you think anyone saw?" Me: "No. And if they did they'd be jealous" (what does that even mean!?) Her: "They'd be jealous?" Me: "Um...well yeah, because they'd want to see more, they were very good." Her: "So you saw!?" Me: "Er...only a little. But I don't think anyone else did. Don't worry. Oh! It looks like the scene is starting." Good job Nick, well played. Side note: They almost certainly saw and what's more? I'm fairly sure it was caught on camera as they were rolling...at least I left that part out in my consoling? Right?<br />
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Anyway, my big mistake which I know FAR better than to make: I took the "rate" that the agency told me at face value. What do I mean? When they told me it's $1500 each time I go for a gig, I didn't ask if that was true for EVERY gig. It is not...as I recently found out from the first check I received...for $100. Am I upset with them for being misleading? Yes...but I'm MUCH more upset with myself. Really Nick? You thought you'd get $1500 for walking in front of a camera? Sigh, I desperately wanted to believe...<br />
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In other news, I had an interview today. The position is: Business Development Manager. Wow, well that sounds fancy, eh? It isn't, but we'll get to that. Basically, I wondered just how legit the company was, or rather, how likely they were to pay me for any work I put in. So...I kinda came across as a dick...in the interview...when this is the first actual interview I've had here. To be fair, I needed to establish credibility, but, I certainly didn't need to do it like that! Me: "Why do you have such a high turnover in this position? Why don't people want to work for you? How long is the longest someone has done this position? What is your pay structure?" Yes, I asked all of those questions, roughly in that order too. I had just gotten burned by the modeling company, I was NOT getting burned by someone else. Well, he had rather legit answers for all of those things and was fully ready to talk compensation...so I probably didn't need to be an ass. At all. This leads to the life debate/gamble.<br />
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Life Debate:<br />
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This BDM role is more like a "sales" role. It's a legit company, but the role is...well, I'm way over qualified. And this isn't me being egotistical (which, I hope I'm not...but would one know if they were?), I'm really overqualified for this (second disclaimer, consider it noted that I understand my current position in life - ie "none" - does not afford me to make statements such as "being overqualified", however in this instance I'm arrogantly doing so anyway). The role is selling a mobile app, door-to-door to businesses (cafes, restaurants, hardware stores, etc). <br />
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Pros:<br />
- It pays decent and perhaps even very well<br />
- It could (stay tuned, I'll find out tomorrow) lead to a permanent resident visa<br />
- My background in software (re: PMX at Raytheon) would afford me doing a much better job with this<br />
- I can see a lot of opportunity for "growing" the role into something much more and helping this company be successful as a startup<br />
- They flat out said I could pick my own title, as long as it's relevant to what I'm doing (I may have said the job was NOT a BDM role in the interview)<br />
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Cons:<br />
- It's door-to-door sales<br />
- Would I be able to frame what I do for this company on my resume in a way that would cause other companies to hire me?<br />
- The pay structure is partly commission based, meaning if I bail after a month I don't get paid well (because the commission comes through monthly)<br />
- It's roughly a telemarketing gig...without the tele part. We all know the gross amounts of turnover involved with that...and there's a reason for it: it sucks<br />
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So, after a brief conversation with a good friend, I was helped to put it in perspective. "What are your goals?" Well put. My goals, in order, are to: get a job that builds my professional experience (aka I can put it on my resume and it's a logical progression), make a wage I can live off of, and to get sponsored so I can stay in the country. Understanding my goals as such, you're free to hate me for this: the post will inevitably be a cliffhanger ending. I can't say which way I'll go...just yet.<br />
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Cheers and let me know how you're all doing!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14653828700996892260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615932881166615892.post-32534370844208158182012-11-09T03:18:00.001-08:002012-11-09T03:53:02.570-08:00Life UpdateIt's now been 7 weeks since I landed and started this little endeavor, let's see where life is at this stage:<br />
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Summary:<br />
I have mixed feelings. This city is beautiful, I could go on and on about why it's great. The people are good; eclectic and generally quite congenial. But, finding a job has been difficult, finding friends can be frustrating and lastly, keeping in touch has been a losing battle and it makes me sad. So, it's mixed, "this life comes with some doubts". How about you and I take a stroll through the details below?<br />
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The City:<br />
My god, the city. I love it. My huddled mass has been yearning to breath free for a while...and this is great (hyperbolic enough for you?). The public transportation, the arts, the cultures, the scenery, the proximity to the ocean, the values...for instance, there's a City Council election pamphlet on the table and I'll name some of the priorities: "Arts events, future park needs, airport rail link, more trees in CBD [central business district]..." Now, I realize not all of us are quite so keen to hippy-dom, so here's some priorities for the more business minded: "commit the next 4 years to job generation, small business development fund, generate more events and activity for business..." Little bit'a sumpin' sumpin' for everyone right?<br />
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That barely scratches the surface of why I think this city is great. But, let me caution, this is not *necessarily* a touristy city, BUT it is a great city to live in. I'd say visit here for a week and then use it to get to other great destinations in the country. At some point I'll probably write a post recommending things to do here. In due time, in due time.<br />
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Finding Work:<br />
Well, as mentioned in the last post "<a href="http://nicknash2.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/irons-in-fire.html">Irons In the Fire</a>" I have a few different avenues I'm pursuing. First and foremost, I'm helping out with ReFab Centre for Recycled Textiles (Cara's startup social enterprise). In general, I'm doing business consulting, i.e. whatever needs to be done. More specifically, I'm helping with: finding funding (there are numerous sources for funding and I have a long google doc - yes I'm a nerd - to keep track of everything being vetted), writing the business plan, and creating an excel sheet to make financial forecasts. The finances are interesting because everything is up in the air and currently a guess, so it will involve copious amounts of research to get initial numbers on which to base decisions. Once those are more concrete, I can start detailing out "how much and when" (which basically means how much money it'll cost and when those costs will be incurred). This leads to graphs I'll use to make the business plan more professional and allowing potential investors a more accurate picture of the business. Truly, there's more than just that going on, but that's the main points. Phew, ok, next job.<br />
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As mentioned, I'm a "model"...idiot? (Zoolander reference...the magazine cover...nevermind). :) So, I had my first "casting" as an extra. I am now officially an "actor". Basically, my "acting" consisted of walking back and forth behind the actual actors on a show called Neighbours (with the "u"...because it's British). It's apparently a fairly popular show, been running for 30 years or so. Anyway, I need to "walk with purpose" more. Oddly, I have a predilection for meandering as it turns out. Or rather, appearing as though I'm meandering. And...so much so that she said I should "pretend to walk to the post office to mail something." Yes, these were my instructions. Not just: "stop staring at the sky and the rest of the set when you walk so damn slow! Walk fast and look ahead dammit!" ...Which we can only assume is what she was trying to say. I also had a magical fake phone conversation in the phone booth that's on their set. Again, not to brag: nailed it! I picked up that phone and mimed a fantastical conversation about cats. It's just a matter of time before Spielberg catches wind of my faux phone conversation and asks me about a lead role. Mr Spielberg: get ready to play hardball with contract negotiations! Er...anyway, it was fun and I got some book reading done during the downtime. Next job.<br />
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I'm a "full on" (they like saying this phrase here) bartender. I now work at Alumbra (club on a pier, discussed in a previous post) and I'm a hired gun. Hired gun meaning: I get texts from a temp agency for random bartending jobs around the city. For example, I just got back from my first one today. The job: Going to a prep school professor's house and bartending for his 52nd birthday at his apartment with 20 of his academic friends. Now, I want to say ahead of time, it's a job and it's reasonable hours so I'm VERY VERY appreciative of that. Now, I want to say why academics remind me of inbred royalty (yes, it's hyperbole again, just try to keep in mind I JUST got done with the shift and "bitterness consumes me"...please note, I do NOT feel this way about all academics, just those who fit the stereotype). He started out seeming fine, I had a nice little chat with him about his book collection, of which I owned three of the same books (minus the plethora of Catholicism books....because he works at a Catholic prep school). That was nice. Then his guests started arriving. He has a buzzer to buzz people in and every time someone would ring it from downstairs, he'd answer with "Dr. XYZ's residence". Yes, please remind your GUESTS who ALREADY know you that you're a doctor, I've been told that makes everyone feel terribly welcome... Oh, and your lady friend who snapped her fingers to get my attention for a drink, next time the drink is going in her face. The general rudeness and laughable fitting of the academic stereotypes aside, the evening went fairly well. I hope to do regular hours like this more often...but with people who treat people like people. Life lesson: Don't be an asshole, even to the people who are serving you.<br />
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Lastly, I've got my resume out with some friendly people: Ana's sister, a project manager I met through mutual friends, and various new recruiting agencies. I hope...HOPE...it turns out well. Let's be honest, I very much thought finding a job would go quite differently upon arrival here. I grossly underestimated the incestuous culture (it's VERY "who you know" not "what you know"....as indicated by MANY people I've spoken with) and the need for a Permanent Resident visa. This was my fault and I will continue building a network and hopefully will overcome. Oh, and THANK YOU to those who wrote recommendations for me on LinkedIn. It is much appreciated and I hope to find a way to help you in the future as well.<br />
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Life in General:<br />
I had these TED talks recommended to me and I think they're quite worth listening to (see end of post). If you'll allow me to briefly overshare (I know, you only THOUGHT I was oversharing before), I'd like to tell you why these are important to me. Perhaps (definitely) I over-think things/life, but I've found that in life I am not often the person that is called when someone is having trouble. This fact has always bothered me because I've tried to live my life by being honest with my friends and helping where I can. I've said it before, but: I'm incredibly lucky to have such good friends and really, I'd like for them to feel welcome to ask for things because I will go far out of my way to do so. The talks below, I believe, are a good summary of my conclusion re: introspection.<br />
<br />
Basically, I've never been good at being vulnerable. AND, I am next to incapable of asking for things. It is very difficult to expect others to ask you for things when you can't ask them. Anyway, this is not me feeling unloved (read above, I'm already lucky in that arena), it is an epiphany for how to show others how much THEY are loved. I hope it helps you too; at very least it will reaffirm your innate humanity and help you understand that not everyone is born that way, but most strive to be. Cheers!<br />
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http://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_on_vulnerability.html<br />
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http://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_listening_to_shame.html<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14653828700996892260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615932881166615892.post-50747891578569241922012-10-29T21:42:00.000-07:002012-10-29T21:42:11.158-07:00Irons In the FireHello friends, this post is about jobs and a small bit about what else I've been up to since we last chatted (my last post).<br />
<br />
Summary:<br />
<br />
I haven't found a career job, but I've got ideas for how to do so later. I will getting my PMP Certification and I am working with my roommate to get her business off the ground. I am now a bartender. The pictures from the modeling stuff came in...enjoy!<br />
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Career:<br />
<br />
I will be updating the other post (re: Finding a Job) soon to reflect the things I've learned since then. It has become increasingly clear that having a temp Visa (work/holiday Visa) is a non-starter for a career job. To date, I've applied to 150 jobs and met with 5 different headhunters (recruiting agencies) resulting in zero interviews. I'd like to take a second to explain this...before my mother has a heart attack (hi mom!). :)<br />
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When there is a large number of people on the market for a job that you are after and you have an obvious deficiency (in this case, my Visa) it is "easy" for recruiters to screen you out. This is true regardless of location (and should be fairly obvious). What is not obvious is when I apply to contract positions that circumvent the Visa conundrum, I still have no luck. I'll leave out my theories as to why this is the case and will instead just discuss possible solutions/mitigations.<br />
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Fiercely Mitigating in Public:<br />
<br />
1. Before the end of the year, I'm going to get the PMP certification. Luckily, I have the professional experience to qualify; now I just need to get the course credits (apparently this must be done through an accredited PMP something something...don't worry, I found a good and cheap way to do legitimately this). PMP is seemingly highly sought after and is also international, therefore it behooves me to get it regardless of location.<br />
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2. This is the exciting part...I'm helping my roommate get her company ("social enterprise") off the ground. This is good for so many reasons. Let's start with the feel-good reasons: recycling excess textiles is a great goal, it will involve the community, it appeals even to half-tree-huggers...shrub-huggers? and it will train unskilled workers and lead to overall job creation. Now, the selfish reasons: It makes me feel good to help someone accomplish their passion (and Cara is, if nothing else, passionate about this), it is legit business experience, I can put my MBA to use in a very practical way, and having Australian experience on a resume will look far better than US experience. What's great is I believe in this work, so the worst that happens is I help out and I get practical experience along the way.<br />
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Other Irons:<br />
<br />
1. Errr...I'm a bartender...with a master's degree? It is the only time I've ever lied on a resume...and it was to take out my education (bachelor's and master's). Anyway, I did my "trial" Saturday night and was told "I talked to multiple people that worked with you tonight, they all said you did fantastic and they can't believe you haven't done bar work before"...They apparently weren't paying attention when I had to ask people to repeat themselves a thousand times because I didn't know what things were. I mean, honestly, who asks for drinks like this: Chivas and Coke, Vodka and Orange (not orange juice...but "orange"), Elephant shot, a long island when the bar is slammed, and a "wet pussy". No, I'm not kidding. That is the MOST popular shot here in Melbourne (just here, not anywhere else in Australia). Why would you name a shot that way? It's like they wanted to make the bartender's life shitty. I can't count how many girls came up and asked for that shot...but in the quietest voice ever because they're embarrassed to ask for a...well, you know. Don't worry, after having them repeat it at least three times, they would end up yelling it at the end...which made us both feel awkward instead of just one of us. Anyway...I have a job.<br />
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2. I got the modeling pictures back. The only way I can explain how weird it is to see a professional photo of yourself is to liken it to the first time you heard your voice on recording. Yes, I'm aware I see myself every day in the mirror when I get ready in the morning...but this is different, I assure you. I provided pictures below (and I'll probably regret it) because they gave me the disk of 84 (yes, 84!!!) pictures. I'll give you a couple "good" ones and a couple ones to laugh about...I truly hope you can distinguish which one is which...screw it, I'm going to provide captions. Things I've learned about me: I default to a blank stare, having a white background is just cruel...if I was wearing less clothes I'd be camouflaged, and my smile is crooked. Oh, and I'm completely ok with all of that, vanity be damned...I like me even though I look like a "real person".<br />
<br />
So...as I was writing this...I got a call from the agency and they want me to be an extra on a show called "Neighbors". If this works out, I'll try to find a clip of it when it's aired so you can bask in my extra-ness...I don't mean to brag...but I do stand around very well. I also sit very well. I hope these add to my qualifications. Maybe I need to write a new resume for modeling. "Sits well, stands well, looks lost (can anyone say prequel to the series Lost?), does awkward well, and would be good for skin cancer commercials." Yep, those qualifications sell themselves...<br />
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Cheers.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi573zufzDaZc3bCkgOY4n3Xh9_-IsHlkBzfQQgDa0UqkfZfv6DMEdOmYfFm86ORkunMxkbXTmoW5etR7IqLFJwTuOWjf_Se_OvjZGqRKwWJyLnaCaBaBuCXdjo9wvAk4Dv8oxTy1YodSuA/s1600/Nick+Nash+(4).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi573zufzDaZc3bCkgOY4n3Xh9_-IsHlkBzfQQgDa0UqkfZfv6DMEdOmYfFm86ORkunMxkbXTmoW5etR7IqLFJwTuOWjf_Se_OvjZGqRKwWJyLnaCaBaBuCXdjo9wvAk4Dv8oxTy1YodSuA/s320/Nick+Nash+(4).jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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I'm worried that out of 84 shots, THIS was the best.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHoohvDccqqD-bRiLi2n0z_dQpVkBA0WrZfioEIJCEvCWpgrrtNfRrtvQa7zlA-MNQCJjVIvQw54y31X4Nuj61XdeNqy7a6-T-FsgWqIlOxlI49nZbcZevD-4z6AblsGpNy4miURllpyZs/s1600/Nick+Nash+(33).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHoohvDccqqD-bRiLi2n0z_dQpVkBA0WrZfioEIJCEvCWpgrrtNfRrtvQa7zlA-MNQCJjVIvQw54y31X4Nuj61XdeNqy7a6-T-FsgWqIlOxlI49nZbcZevD-4z6AblsGpNy4miURllpyZs/s320/Nick+Nash+(33).jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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If you're thinking I look like I don't know what I'm doing in this one...it's because I don't. I'm willing to bet he had just said, "no, look INTO the camera". Well, I looked...lost. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbJt02xZ97N5jgRWMjk46-2PG-ys0VHm-3I_FRXoxlzWJJMe1SE3ZcavQo36URpyArZPAPbTYN0QcvWkojHnsnXAeRWQr4TFtCP_8iLQ-ADm8aiaVd4LIe59ptMmj5c9_sTiQZlBzdrnhZ/s1600/Nick+Nash+(55).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbJt02xZ97N5jgRWMjk46-2PG-ys0VHm-3I_FRXoxlzWJJMe1SE3ZcavQo36URpyArZPAPbTYN0QcvWkojHnsnXAeRWQr4TFtCP_8iLQ-ADm8aiaVd4LIe59ptMmj5c9_sTiQZlBzdrnhZ/s320/Nick+Nash+(55).jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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This is me showing my dangerous side. I wear hoodies and don't do my hair. I'm dangerous...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi99OA1es_SNwZISE8kd1eSBdjoXLw3vmDeVsEDlzPfCgf1kQX0hvHEAIZ_BqCn7ImDq_Bm9jK4Q9c8o1nDwNMGk4dPFggjT0GGt9nb2hfKZBS7KEXLzE_zGtwFjW6cxpTi06JMY9nfGhQE/s1600/Nick+Nash+(57).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi99OA1es_SNwZISE8kd1eSBdjoXLw3vmDeVsEDlzPfCgf1kQX0hvHEAIZ_BqCn7ImDq_Bm9jK4Q9c8o1nDwNMGk4dPFggjT0GGt9nb2hfKZBS7KEXLzE_zGtwFjW6cxpTi06JMY9nfGhQE/s320/Nick+Nash+(57).jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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I...think my mom will appreciate this the most. I've had this same crooked-half-assed-smile for my entire life. </div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14653828700996892260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615932881166615892.post-85242678050396071052012-10-18T08:33:00.002-07:002012-10-18T08:35:58.877-07:00I'm a model?I am now a "model" at a company called Real People...I'll go ahead and let that sink in.<br />
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<br /></div>
<div>
Now, you may have a lot of questions running through your head right now. I'll list some below:</div>
<div>
- WTF? No, really, what the f#$%?</div>
<div>
- What company would hire YOU as a model?</div>
<div>
- Was this when you "bought a mattress" and the two guys were with you in the room? You left out the 'real' ending didn't you? The one where they brought cameras...</div>
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- Weren't you trying to get a career-type job?</div>
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- How did this happen?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
I'll start by answering the last question and hopefully when I'm done the rest will be answered as well. First off, pale is the new tan. Mark my words, the trend is only a season away.<br />
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So, I'm browsing the job site, doing a little job searching, cha know, getting crazy...starting a party...when I run across this thing that says: "looking for real people". Well, as you know, <i>I</i> <i>am real.</i> Annnnd, also job-less. Naturally, idle hands...something something...so I went ahead and signed up. By signed up, I mean that I sent them my professional resume, no picture, and had an interview a few days later. I think they saw "engineer" on the resume and thought "wow, this guy IS real!" right? Or, more likely, everyone gets an interview that signs up...<br />
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I went. After waiting an hour and a half in the lobby...when I was respectfully on time...I met with a very chatty individual who culminated his speech by saying I have a "very commercial face". Let's keep this in perspective...the "hiring manager" for the 'talent company' said this. Which means, it could have been true...but likely he just wanted my bid-nass (business). For argument's sake, we'll go ahead and assume his statement is true... Also, I did NOT need him to say: "and it looks like you're a bit shorter, which is good. It's good to be shorter for the camera because they do wide shots. You know Tom Cruise right? He's great for the camera. And you're roughly his height, *maybe* even a little taller." #$%&&#$% Yes, I know who Tom Cruise is. And, well, I was going to go on a rant about how much taller I am than him but after looking him up online...it's apparently pretty close. Touché Mr hiring manager... touché.<br />
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Went back for the photos. Yes, I had to pay money. Yes, I feel retarded. And yes, if I get a single gig as anything (extra in movie, extra in TV show, extra in commercial, in the background of any print ad, etc) it's paid for itself 3 times over. Annnnd yes, I did rationalize it to myself as an 'experience' in life. So what the hell right? Get some pictures taken, pay a little money, get down tonight. Anyway...I'm there for pictures and I did NOT ask the camera guy if he wanted the first pictures to be pants on or off...but dammit I wanted to. Sadly, I just thought the rest of the time would be far too awkward...but had I known it would be awkward anyway (mainly due to me), I would have.<br />
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I brought 4 changes of outfit. 4 sounded right. Who the hell knows how to do this anyway, right? My name is not Avery Freeland and I am not dashingly handsome with my handbag...I'm Nick and I'm more likely to trip on the lighting surrounding the set than to be in GQ. That said, I spent the remainder of the time laughing very hard (at myself), not looking at the camera (even though by the end he was almost pleading with me to do so), and shifting from left-hand-left-pocket to right-hand-right-pocket. I can now see why models can get away with being vapid, this is not a mentally taxing endeavor. He assured me I was doing fine. I assured him I wasn't. <br />
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Halfway through the photo shoot, my self-deprecating sense of humor got the better of him and he showed me the person before me that he was photographing. She. Was. Beautiful. And, I definitely didn't need him to give me that look of "FML, I go from her...to you?" I may have won him over with some jokes...but I did not win anything with style or ability. Apparently, somewhere in a model's vapidness, they do at least learn to stop, wait for shutter sound, move to new position, repeat. I...did not learn this. Not even after 45 minutes. I did, however, perfect the blank stare...to which, he made sure to show me what I looked like on his camera...multiple times. If one were to dissect the message he was trying to get across, it had to be this: "look asshole, I shoot kids who do this better than you...here, let me show you the stupid faces you keep making." Again, naturally, I laughed harder. And c'mon now, how is a tiger pose not "showing the camera attitude"? Some people can win by looks (aforementioned Avery), I...need le tigre, blue steel, and magnum (this is a Zoolander reference for those wondering where I've run off to this time).<br />
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Lastly, my mission: to be paid for photos that are so air brushed you hardly even recognize me. That...may have to go on the bucket list. <br />
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If the pictures aren't paralyzingly embarrassing, I'll post some when I get them in a couple weeks amid applying for real career jobs (which btw I had some good luck recently). Otherwise, let your imagination run free! Free with me? This is a terrible way to end a blog post.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14653828700996892260noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615932881166615892.post-48786483544095743002012-10-02T23:21:00.000-07:002012-12-12T03:57:11.536-08:00To Find a Job in Australia...and a blurb about BankingThis post is about finding a job and about how to transfer money to an Australian bank account. I realize there's very few people this post is applicable for, and if it's not you, I'll get back to anecdotes soon enough I'm sure.<br />
<br />
To get a <b>job</b> in Australia, or an analogous city abroad, you'll need the things listed below. And yes, I realize most of these are applicable to the States as well, but hopefully it will make for a good checklist.<br />
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- <b>Voicemail!!</b><br />
Just because you got a phone number the first day you got in and you've long since patted yourself on the back for that, don't think for a second that everything works. Have someone call and leave you a message. I just found out I had a week old message from a recruiter sitting in my voicemail box. Granted, I've tried to set up my voicemail message multiple times, to no avail, but you can bet I would have been at the Vodafone store had I known the extent!<br />
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- <b>TFN</b><br />
This is a tax file number. It's easy to fill out the paper work, you can do it online (just google AU TFN) and you'll find it. Granted, if you want to clean dishes or something similar, you probably don't need this because those jobs often pay under the table (you don't pay taxes because they pay you in cash)...and yes that is illegal. Just like in the States, not paying taxes is illegal for you and the employer...you've been warned.<br />
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- <b>Work experience</b><br />
Having work experience for EXACTLY the thing that you're applying for is paramount in Australia. Not only that, they have plenty of citizens who are also looking for work in the same area you are, so make sure you stand out (have several years of applicable experience). You are not special just because you're foreign.<br />
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- <b>A proper visa</b><br />
A work/holiday visa is great...if you want to pick grapes in a field. They'll hire you all day long for that. And they'll even extend your visa for an extra year if you do that as well. But, if you're looking for a corporate hire, be realistic. The overwhelming majority of companies are not going to sponsor you for a permanent residency visa unless you are truly worth it. If you have a work/holiday visa and are trying to find corporate work, set your sites at contract jobs that are 6 months or less. If you prove yourself there, then broach the subject of corporate sponsorship.<br />
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- <b>Proper Expectations</b><br />
The above is true for most situations, set your expectations accordingly. If you want to live here for a year and don't care how it happens (waiting tables, picking grapes, making crepes, etc) then don't worry about it. If you want to go corporate, make sure you understand the market ahead of time and set your expectations accordingly. Most professions, save for highly specialized ones, you are not a unique snowflake...approach your job hunt accordingly.<br />
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- <b>An Australian formatted resume</b><br />
I tried to resist. Oh god how I tried! Alas, it would seem stubbornness is not a virtue. So, I took my (what I considered to be) pristine one-page resume and broke it out into 4 pages. Yes, 4. It's the same information, and it's now 4 pages...and it kills me. But, I have gotten positive feedback, so, c'est la vie. All that said, it's great to have both. Just like in the states, there's no "one way" to do your resume and there's no "one thing" that everyone is looking for. And, it's worth noting, that most countries have their own general formatting. e.g. France keeps it short and sweet, and they don't write objectives, they just list the job title they're after at the top of their resume instead; Germany has job candidates put pictures of themselves at the top; do your research and when you find it...don't be stubborn dammit, just make another version of your resume...you'll likely be glad you did.<br />
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- <b>Patience</b><br />
Make sure you have enough money and hobbies to enact a bit of patience. Also, keep a list of the recruiting agencies that you have applied to jobs for. If you inundate the same company with your resume it is NOT helpful. They pass your resume amongst themselves (sometimes) and word will get around that you're impatient. Knock it off. Maybe try to give yourself something to do by keeping your list of companies you've applied to as detailed as possible. Keep all the phone numbers, people, and notes all in one place. Anyone you've interacted with that you don't want to work for, put that in there as well. If you want to see how I've been doing it, feel free to ask.<br />
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- <b>Lots of online submittals</b><br />
First, see the section on Patience. Don't do it to the same company because you'll immediately be written off. But, be sure to give yourself a fighting chance. If "What Color is Your Parachute?" is correct, only 2% of online submittals lead to jobs. Therefore, if this is your approach, treat it as a numbers game. Just do it intelligently (see above, again). Or...read that book and take the myriad of other approaches it suggests, which if you're in a foreign country...may be limited.<br />
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- <b>Follow Up</b><br />
Call the hiring manager and the HR person that are posting the job (if possible). Don't call daily, but don't just send a resume and forget about everything. And if you meet with them, send them a brief email thanking them (this is also in the book, but I believe should also be common sense). People like to be thanked for doing things, especially when they're ultimately doing things for YOU.<br />
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- <b>Bank Account</b><br />
So you finally have a job? Well, you'll need some way for them to pay you. Set up a bank account! This can actually be done long before you even arrive. And might I add, in Australia, you can get some pretty killer interest rates for savings accounts compared to the States. See below for things to keep in mind with bank accounts and transferring money.<br />
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**Added Dec-12-2012<br />
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- <b>Timing</b><br />
For the love of god don't come to Australia when I did. I got here at the end of the year and that was a bad mistake. The reason it's not good is that is when budgets are contracting and being planned for the next year. You're far better off to get here mid-January or later.<br />
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<br />
- <b>Recruiters</b><br />
They do not like you. In fact, they will go out of their way to not deal with you. You are not an Australian citizen and therefore not on their radar (unless you have HEAPS of experience and/or are in a specialized field).<br />
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<br />
- <b>For Better Luck, Try:</b><br />
- Researching companies in the industry you'd like to work in and specifically going to their websites and applying to them. Call their HR person as well. They're friendly.<br />
- If you find a job you'd like, you can bring it to certain recruiters and they will/can sponsor you. So, you'd actually be working for the recruiter who is a contractor with the company. This costs the company and you money because the recruiter takes a cut (I hear a sizable one at that). So be sure you're very applicable for the job otherwise the company will tell you to get lost.<br />
- Talking. Talk to everyone. People here are incredibly friendly and will help you get a job...even if you've just met them. Seriously. I've had this happen multiple multiple times now.<br />
- Volunteer. Get something going on your resume that is substantial; if it has to happen without pay, so be it...it's better than nothing! And, you can sleep smug and sound because you're helping someone else.<br />
- Apply for regional work. Or rather, be flexible with your location in general. If the most important thing to you is that you're in the country...there's some jobs in remote locations waiting just for you. If you really want a particular city...well, I hope it goes well for you.<br />
**End Addition. Back to the original post:<br />
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Transferring money to your <b>bank account</b>:<br />
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From what I can tell, it is very difficult to move money internationally with American accounts. This is likely due to international money laundering, i.e. money from an American account is usually seen as "clean" and therefore there are many more rules and regulations on importing and exporting to US bank accounts (thanks NPR for that tidbit). Neither my Wells Fargo nor my ING account will let me transfer money to my Australian bank account directly, so here's some options if you're looking to work abroad or travel for extended periods:<br />
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- Pull money from your US accounts, one ATM transaction at a time, and deposit this into your account in AU. <br />
<b>Advantage</b>: It's relatively easy.<br />
<b>Disadvantage</b>: Every transaction there's a fee from your bank AND your AU bank ($3.00 and $5.00, respectively, from what I've found). One way to get around this would be to raise your withdrawal limit as high as possible (mine was stuck at $500 US, alas) and do it all in one lump sum with only the combined $8.00 fee.<br />
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- Have a bank that allows transfers between overseas accounts. This appears to be HSBC for now, but there are probably others.<br />
<b>Advantage</b>: You can do it all online.<br />
<b>Disadvantage</b>: You'll need to research this ahead of time and may even need to set up a new account in the States as well. Double check the fees to make sure this is a solid option! I don't have it fully set up just yet, so I can't say numbers-wise if it's the best.<br />
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- Use a currency broker. I found the idea here: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=2018580<br />
<b>Advantage</b>: It *seems* to be the cheapest solution.<br />
<b>Disadvantage</b>: There's some set up involved and you need to trust a third-party with your money.<br />
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- http://usa.visa.com/personal/cards/prepaid/visa_travel_money.html<br />
I *think* this is a viable option. I stayed away from it because I thought there was no protection if it was lost, but apparently there is. Make sure to check the cap on it and the fees. Seems like you have to go in-person to figure these things out, otherwise I'd give you the details.<br />
<b>Advantage</b>: It's easy and you can do it ahead of time. May also be the best option for longer term travel.<br />
<b>Disadvantage</b>: There may be fees! Make sure to ask about currency conversion fees, transaction fees point-of-sale), set up fees, ATM fees, etc.<br />
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- Depositing an American check into a foreign bank.<br />
For example, I sold my car before I left. CarMax gave me a nice little check that I though I was being pretty damn clever with by waiting until I got to Australia to deposit it...<br />
<b>Advantage</b>: There's one fee and you get your sizable deposit at that day's exchange rate<br />
<b>Disadvantage</b>: You're carrying around a check for thousands of dollars you dolt! Don't get robbed or forget your bag somewhere (and after 23 hrs of travel...both are much more likely)! Also, your money is not available until 28 days later, yes, 28. Lastly, checks from CarMax have an expiration date...so you're at the whim of the exchange rate within that month (see below). <br />
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<b><u>NOTE</u></b>: With ALL of these options, pay at least a modicum of attention to the currency exchange rate fluctuations. If you're only converting $500, don't worry about it. But if you're converting $5,000+ than you better be watching! Currency forecasting is anyone's guess and people get paid big money to do this, but, with a simple amount of reading for a few weeks ahead of time and a general feel for the country's economy and what affects it, you can make a much more informed decision. OR...google "AUD forecast" (or whichever country you're visiting) and just read whichever blog you feel is best for a few weeks and then decide when to take the plunge (transfer your currency to the other country's currency). For example, Australia's currency changes considerably with respect to the dollar. e.g. 2% within the last day and 7% within this last year. For reference:<br />
http://au.finance.yahoo.com/q?s=AUDUSD=XAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14653828700996892260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615932881166615892.post-7830146736200256712012-09-29T00:35:00.000-07:002012-09-29T00:38:12.364-07:00Australia "Culture Shock"I've been asked, "have you had a 'culture shock' moving to Australia from the States?" This post is dedicated to answering that question. I've also been told that you only get one time to have a first impression, so I feel I should write these things down. Do you feel like you'd be shocked with any of the following differences to the states?<br />
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- Australia is a left-side-of-the-road driving sorta country. Looking right and then left is something that I'm not sure I'll ever get used to (my roommate who has been here 17 years has said she still looks left first). In general, my first rule with anything is "don't die". If you had to guess, how many countries do you think drive on the left side? If you have your guess already, read on. There are seventy-five countries that do! Craziness.</div>
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http://wiki.answers.com/Q/In_how_many_countries_do_cars_drive_on_the_left_side_of_the_road</div>
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- AFL is big here...huge. AFL stands for Australian Football League and is Australian rules football. If you've never heard of it, click the link below, it's pretty intense. And truly, it looks more exciting to watch than the NFL. Also, it's called "footy". So apparently Australians have something that sounds like they'd be talking about soccer just like the US does, but no no, it's something completely new. By the way, soccer is called soccer here. Which I still think is ridiculous, "football" and "footy" are much better words for that sport than soccer is.</div>
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqymJpIhpPY </div>
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- Vegemite is beloved. Feel free to read the link below. I'll save you my description of it, we'll just say I have not "acquired the taste" for it.</div>
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http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/VegemiteHistory.htm</div>
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- Most houses don't have air conditioning. Being from Arizona, this is strange. Growing up, every room had a fan and to not have A/C was unheard of. Here...meh. I understand there's plenty of areas in the "States" where this is also true, so I won't belabor the point; just pointing out it's odd to me.</div>
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- Most houses do not have dryers. Again, growing up, I've always had a dryer. We did have a clothes line when I was really young I suppose, but I've always had a dryer since I've been doing my own clothes. Apparently, by the way, my drying rack technique is superb (so says Cath...apparently a prior roommate could never figure out how to do it). I know drying racks are common in Germany and probably tons of places, so again, I won't belabor the point.</div>
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- People are friendly for no reason at all! Imagine stepping back in time in the US to about the 1950's (just add iPhones) and that's the neighborhood feel that you get here. For example (maybe a bad and longwinded example, but deal with it, haha): A young lady went missing here in Melbourne about a week ago and it became national news. Not only that, within 2 days there were printed out "Missing" papers on lamp posts for this one person, who was 29. People DO NOT go missing here and when it happens, it's a huge story. In other words, people are trusting and very genuine (in general). The concept of "stranger danger" is very minimal here. </div>
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PS. If you plan on coming here to take advantage of this, don't. Mainly because it's great to have so much trust and positivity. But, also because you WILL stand out. Example: The tragic story of the lady above; her killer was caught 3 days later. 3 days!? Not only was it national news for one person to be missing, but the person was caught 3 days later. Don't come here and be a shit-bag, you will not last long.</div>
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- People walk places. No, seriously. We're talking people are completely cool with walking over a mile. I know to active people this may sound ridiculous to be a thing to point out...but to the general Arizonan...this is a BIG deal. A roommate (not Cath or Cara, long story) suggested I walk to the South Market. Mind you, that is a 45 minute walk! Don't get me wrong, I love it. But tell most Americans it'll be a 45 minute walk and they'll have some lovely expletives waiting for you. I think on average, thus far, I've walked about 4 miles a day (I was thinking of using my GPS watch to track it, but maybe that's just a wee bit too nerdy...because then it would turn into a spreadsheet...and then a Google doc...and then I'd want a graph according to seasons...and, trouble).</div>
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- Along the lines of walking, there is public transportation. And not just a couple buses, I mean trains and trams, along with maps and platforms and if you're on the wrong platform you miss your train or... you take a 30 minute detour to fair grounds all the while there are tons of obnoxious adolescents and their apathetic parents not reigning them in and all you want to do is discipline them for the first time in their lives but you don't and you just sit there and stew about how you chose the wrong train and how you'll never get on the wrong train again...not that that ever happens. Phew, anyway...there's trains and trams and pedestrians, oh my!</div>
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http://www.railpage.org.au/railmaps/melbourn.htm</div>
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Or rather: http://ptv.vic.gov.au/assets/PTV/Metropolitan-train/TrainNetworkMapPTVA4.pdf (for trains)</div>
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And: http://ptv.vic.gov.au/maps-stations-stops/metropolitan-maps/metropolitan-tram-network-map/ (for trams)</div>
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- People talk funny. I wanted to put that as eloquently as possible. But really: the pronunciation, word choice, and vocabulary does take some getting used to, as well as the spelling of certain words (e.g. "tyre" instead of "tire"). Usually it's just small things like me calling it "dish soap" as opposed to their "dish washing liquid" or our "moving walkways" as opposed to their "travelator" (which is a great word by the way). But sometimes there's words like "doona" that leave me saying wtf (doona is Australian for quilt/comforter, see link below), or what about a "jumper" (pronounced "jumpah") which means "sweater"? It's great, I'm not deriding it by any stretch, but it will take some getting used to. And truly, it's no worse than the difference between Arizona and Louisiana (you're going to "woarsh" your car? c'mon now). I'd give you more examples of Australian words, but there's so many websites that do it well already that I'll just point you to one of them, see below.</div>
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duvet</div>
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http://www.koalanet.com.au/australian-slang.html</div>
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- People eat strange things at strange places. Case in point, I went to a Thai restaurant (which was incredible good, I love you Massaman) and the meats that I got to choose from got one item longer than usual. Obviously (no, really), I chose the last one. I had to! I've never seen that on a menu before. Granted, I'm sure it's on plenty of Bayou menus, but dammit I lived in Arizona my whole life. Just a sheltered po' white boy, don't know nothin' 'bout no food stuffs.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14653828700996892260noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615932881166615892.post-14302469727915353982012-09-27T17:18:00.000-07:002012-09-27T17:18:00.618-07:00Step 3c: The Arrival Part 4My last story about arriving is something that should be mundane, but resulted in a fear for my life. So again, I feel compelled to share. <br />
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It has little to do with Melbourne and travel, so feel free to skip this one if that's where your interests align. Actually, I think I'll be sure to do that at the beginning of each post, giving a brief summary so you can decide whether to read it or not.<br />
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Buying a mattress:<br />
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So yes, if you were wondering, I HAVE been sleeping on the floor in my sleeping bag. It's actually been fine, I won't complain. But, I am looking forward to a mattress. How would one go about buying a mattress cheaply? Gumtree my dear friend. How would one find himself/herself in a super seedy place staring at a mattress with two dudes staring at you saying "it's a good mattress, no? Go ahead and try it out" in a room that couldn't have been bigger than 8'x8'? Gumtree my dear friend.<br />
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Sure I knew ahead of time it was sketchy, how could I not? I found the ad on Gumtree and called the lady, who told me she would text me (she actually said "send" and then hung up) the address...but not to arrive before 11:30am. "Hmmm, that's strange" I thought to myself, "why would a legit business not provide their address or store hours?" But, I needed a mattress and it was pretty cheap, comparatively, and they'd deliver it...so I went there at 11:30. I have pictures of the area below. Let's just say, when you have to call someone who then has to call someone else, to then pop out of a door that has no handle (seriously) to let you in, you begin to be thankful you didn't bring much cash and that you're wearing your running shoes...and then you go in anyway because you're me.<br />
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Two guys, roughly my age, let me in and bring me into a room where they have obviously set up the mattress while I was waiting outside for 5 minutes for them to open the door. They shut both doors to the no-frills, white-wash room and stare at me. Both stand at each door to keep it shut because not even the inside doors have handles (I didn't realize this at first and I thought they were preventing me from leaving), but it begs the question why those doors needed to be shut. Continuing to stare at me, as if I should know that if two guys lead you to a bed in a warehouse that you should lay down and try it out, they finally break and say "it's a good mattress, no? best we've got." Truly, I was thrilled to talk about the mattress because this setup could've gone so many worse ways. Feel free to use your imagination (or not), but buying a mattress is probably the best possible end to this scenario.<br />
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I'm back home, not dead, and have a mattress...and all I had to do was briefly fear for my life and shell out some money while doing so. Cheers!<br />
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PS...I. Must. See. This... http://www.cinemanova.com.au/catalogue/coming_soon/mfthe25threich<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14653828700996892260noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615932881166615892.post-18278070282195937282012-09-26T02:46:00.002-07:002012-09-27T00:14:19.020-07:00Step 3b: Arrival Part 32 things to start:<br />
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- One, when do you stop calling something the "arrival"? Sure, I've arrived, but have I settled (maybe...keep reading)? I struggled with this, so instead there's "step 3b"...which is a half-baked naming convention and I know it.<br />
- Two, I realize the blog frequency is a bit crazy right now (once every two days), I assure you this will slow down as things in life slow down...and as the mundane details in a new country reemerge as the mundane details that they truly are.<br />
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Place to live:<br />
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I HAVE A PLACE TO LIVE that's not with 3 adolescents in a room the size of a shoe box (I'll miss you hostel, RIP). My roommates are the ones I talked about in the previous post where I said I brought wine (take that French guy and cute couple). My roommates are Cara and Cath. Cara is the one starting up the recycled textiles business and Cath is the one who makes "craps" (I laugh every time she says it). Cath actually used to work in IT for 7 years before doing a working holiday visa here (the same thing I currently have) but she wasn't able to find work in IT here...yes, I'm worried, we'll get to that. Pictures of the place and the two roommies are at the end of this post. Lastly: Cath sent a text out to everyone else who wanted the room and the French guy responded very interestingly, "You could have had the rent and a good fuck, good luck with your fuck hunt." Keeping it classy, bud. Side note: he was a good looking dude, I would think he'd be able to do well enough without having to sleep with roommates (which would make awkward situations later). Crazy takes all forms I suppose.<br />
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Job:<br />
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I played dress up today (picture at the bottom) and went to 6 recruitment agencies and handed out resumes. I made it past the receptionist once, just once. The rest of the time I was assured their website was more than adequate and that I didn't need to show up randomly without an appointment. They may have put it nicer than that, but I didn't want to be in uncomfortable clothes without a purpose, so I continued walking awkwardly into multiple more agencies without appointments. Tomorrow and Friday I'll try to call and set some stuff up, today was a trial run. Oh, and if it wasn't clear from that meandering thought process, no, I did not have any good leads. :) We'll see what calling ahead and "registering" get me.<br />
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Picures:<br />
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Cara is on the left; Cath on the right.<br />
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Living room on the 3rd floor. Awesome patio.<br />
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I agree, this isn't a very good picture. Just wanted to show there were 3 floors. My bedroom is on the first floor and terribly uninteresting at the moment.<br />
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Me being vain, I may have texted this picture for affirmation that this get-up looked decent. <br />
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Update (9/27/2012): it was 9 recruitment agencies. I took notes at each one and compiled it later. <br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14653828700996892260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615932881166615892.post-17925415456979079602012-09-24T02:19:00.002-07:002012-09-25T15:50:51.704-07:00Step 3a: Arrival Part 2I just updated this and yet so much has happened. I've visited 6 different "flats", yes, they're called flats here...but it's fine to call them houses...sometimes. So far it's been interesting, I mean, I suppose I would expect it to be because it's kinda like Craigslisting for a rental (or rather, it's EXACTLY like that, it's just not called Craigslist). I feel the need to share:<br />
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#1: 50 yr old Croation lady, previously discussed.<br />
#2: 40 yr old Nepalese man and his wife. To be fair, the entire place smelled like Curry, and I love Curry. I even capitalize Curry! But...the ENTIRE place smelled like curry. Now I like curry and all...but do I wake up in the morning and go to sleep at night, like curry? The answer here is no. Luckily the room was small and his idea of "fully furnished" was a single twin mattress in the middle of the floor.<br />
#3: "Hey bro...no problem bro...see you soon bro..." Now you may be thinking, who is this lovely chap who overuses bro and why is Nick going to live with an 18 yr old surfer? Ah, but you'd be wrong. Turns out, he's 40. Now to be honest, that actually wasn't an issue because I was renting a studio from him and the place was incredibly cool and he seemed like someone I could hang out with. Sigh, the problem was that it took me ~25min to walk from the train station to get there. Sigh. Sorry bro.<br />
#4: What's this? Two people roughly my age? And right next to a giant park that has an incredible running track? Hallelujah! Or so you'd think. The place was...dirty. Quite dirty. The people were nice, but...the dank. I can't do the dank. Alas, goodbye park and interesting potential-roommates.<br />
#5: I'm a guest for their drink party. Well, I suppose that's actually kind of a clever way to do it. I bring wine...because I'll be damned if I actually like the place that I'm going to be upstaged by someone more personable. 3 people show for the drinks...and they're all there to look at the flat...awkward. I was the only one to bring anything...score! I actually really like the place...score! It's 2 train stops from that running track...score! It's super clean and my roommates would be 2 females, one is from Australia/San Francisco (I know, I'm confused too) and the other is from France...score? Haha, they seem pretty cool. One is vegetarian and the other makes crepes (and pronounces it "craps"...to which I wanted to tell her we had something in common......meaning that I like crepes...jeez, grow up guys). Anyway, I'm rambling. It's great, they're clean, they're cool, and the location is cool. Hope they pick me over the French guy and the super cute couple from SF (stiff competition...but I brought wine?).<br />
#6: This was the only place I saw today. Pretty close by, so that was cool...but not much else was. I called (per his asking) to tell him I was outside. He literally ran over! Ran! The entire time he was showing me around the place he was out of breath. Oh awkward Asian kid, thank you for out-awkwarding me. The place was a hole. He seemed nice...breathlessly nice? But the place was like a college dorm. Which, coincidentally, the University of Melbourne was 2 minutes away. Apparently it's usually student housing. I like learning good and all...but that life-style has come and gone. Upon leaving (quickly), I saw him running by me as I sauntered back to the tram. I then got to stand even-more-awkwardly at the light waiting next to him once I had caught up at my leisurely pace. I knew he saw me, and a minute later another awkward conversation ensued. To which, I then saw him walk once the light changed and then when I looked back he was running again. I must say, I do like his dedication!<br />
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Other stuff today: setting up a bank account and finding work (it's Monday so things are finally open).<br />
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Bank Account:<br />
<br />
Now, I hear you..."how can there be an entire section devoted to setting up a bank account? Patience, my dear friends and family. <br />
First, I had pre-setup the bank account a month ago before I got here. Just need to fill out some paper work and fund the account right? Well...no. While filling out the paperwork (which was actually really easy and quick, maybe 10 minutes), I asked if I could take his picture for the blog. I was told in the nicest of ways...no. Oh, where is my dear awkward Asian college student to make me seem less awkward? The paperwork goes well. <br />
Now to fund it, you'd think this would be easy because banks like getting your money and like even more to take money from their competitors. Nope. I decided to hold on to the check I got from CarMax for selling my car so that I could deposit it here. Well, I'll see that money in 28 days...bleh. Because a zero dollar bank account does me zero good, I decided to try to transfer money from my Wells Fargo and ING accounts into the account. Oh? I can do it all online? Perfect. Easy. No. Long story short (because so far I've told everything the long way), WF and ING do not allow you to transfer money to Australian bank accounts. I could go into the details, but, I'll save you from further agony. I've resigned myself to pulling money out every day with a $3.00 transaction fee and depositing it in the account. Is it painful? Yes. Does it work? Thankfully, yes.<br />
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Finding Work:<br />
<br />
I fully expect this to be a long process; it had its beginnings today. I went ahead and found multiple recruiting agencies and decided I'd literally walk in and introduce myself. What could go wrong? Well, after walking into the first one it became entirely apparent that I might not have totally thought it through. For starters, wearing a suit coat, button down...and jeans, does NOT mean you're ready to introduce yourself for a job. The receptionist told me this...nicely...or as nicely as you can be told you're a scrub. Second, oddly enough, it behooves you to bring a resume...at least one. I'm going to blame this oversight on jet-lag. That sounds fair. So...in my own best interest I decided to stop while I was only moderately behind and go print off some resumes. To the OfficeWorks store! Upon my arrival I asked them to print the email I had sent them, which they very quickly did. 20 pages please! Time to do this right. Or not. Apparently...Australians use the A4 paper size (which for you paper geeks is NOT 8x11.5). I now have 20 resumes that are worthless because they look like hell. Whoops. Ok, time to think this through a little better; the next job-getting steps are as follows:<br />
<br />
- Get an address! I need a place to live so I'm not just giving them a bogus address and for the next step.<br />
- Apply for a TFN. This is basically Australia's social security number. This will allow me to get a legit job and not have to make craps...er, crepes. Once I have an address, this *should* be relatively straight forward.<br />
- Re-jigger my resume so it fits on the "standard" A4 paper-size.<br />
- Dress for success...not like I'm still in Tucson (ok, fine, to be fair: not all of Tucson thinks that just having a suit coat means you're "dressed up")<br />
- Re-visit my friendly receptionist and multiple more like her to apply for a living.<br />
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Sorry for the long-windedness! Time to enjoy a beer out on the patio-part of the bar that's attached to the hostel. Then, to finish "What Color Is Your Parachute" (because I apparently missed a part).<br />
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PS. It is the strangest thing to walk around and hear Fun and Jimmy Eat World playing at random coffee shops and bars here in Melbourne. So much changes and more stays the same.<br />
<br />
Cheers!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14653828700996892260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615932881166615892.post-85394375083870935282012-09-22T02:34:00.000-07:002012-09-22T02:34:33.045-07:00Step 3: The ArrivalSo...I'M HERE. I can finally (honestly) say I'm excited. Before, I'd have to say every other emotion was more overwhelming than the excitement. But now, most of the anxiety is gone and the relief of finishing everything before taking off has made things much better. My guess is that tomorrow will be even better (let's be honest here: I woke up at 6:30am Phoenix time to go golfing with Richard in Florence, AZ. I caught 4 hours of "plane sleep" from LA to Auckland. It is currently 2:30am Phoenix time, or rather, 44 hours later. For all I know right now, I'm still on the plane dreaming all of this...or more likely: running down a mental checklist while *trying* to sleep and figuring out what I'll say in the blog. Jeez, I hope it's far less rambling than what I'm "dreaming" right now...).<br />
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I haven't taken any pictures inside the hostel because in my sleep deprived state I haven't really talked to anyone and I think it may appear fairly creepy. That's not totally true though, I did awkwardly introduce myself to my roommates by saying "hey, the desk person said you're in my room..." and then waiting for them to say the room number...which could've easily meant I was stalking them (yes, like saying this to a total stranger was less awkward than walking into a room where they know they'll have roommates and just meeting them there). But, if you're curious what the hostel looks like, picture every college dorm ever...this goes for the rooms, the lobby, and the people. I'm not complaining (maybe a little), but sleep-deprived Me is finding it difficult to relate.<br />
<br />
On that note!...I decided to look at apartments/houseshares/flatshares (whatever) today. I was only able to meet up with one person and it was...ummm...well, she was very nice. And by that, I mean she was 50 years old, with red hair, Croatian, and talked A LOT (no, really...). Truly, only two of those things bothered me; constant talking and an age where I'm going to feel bad for the inevitable 2am stumble-through is probably not a recipe for success. But I will say "WOW" to the location. The front room literally overlooked the river and I was probably 50ft from a giant jogging path that linked up to an even bigger one too. I want that...<br />
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Picture time:<br />
- The first one is to show the kind of architecture that's all around here. My hostel is probably 3 blocks into the page (I don't know how else to say that)<br />
- The second picture is of a "mall" that looks like it used to be a museum...I was compelled to take a picture.<br />
- The last picture is of the train line. I am sufficiently lost and ever grateful that multiple people have answered my (what I can only determine from the looks on their faces) very stupid questions. Ex: "Where do I buy a train ticket for the #8 train?" Ans: It's 50ft from me in clear sight to buy the ticket/pass. Also, there's an 8 tram; not a #8 train. Trams and trains are different things. Quick note: Trams and trains may be different, but the pass to get on them is the same. I'm thankful for this fact.<br />
- Lastly, I fully realize I'll look back on these pictures and wonder what was going on and why I'd take pictures of such things. My only hope is that you, the reader, can appreciate it. :)<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14653828700996892260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615932881166615892.post-79874990333974930462012-09-18T15:03:00.001-07:002012-10-18T00:19:01.547-07:00Step 2: LeavingI've been asked "why?" a lot. I wish I was so free spirited as to not have an answer for that, but alas, that's not even close to the case. So, if you're curious, my reasons are below and then followed by some other errant thoughts.<br />
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- I need/crave change right now. I've lived in AZ for my entire life, why not try a new city/state/country?<br />
- Who is Nick Nash? Maybe that answer will change...or maybe it'll be nothing nearly so melodramatic. :)<br />
- Melbourne appears to be an awesome city: ranked 2 years in a row as "most livable city" (didn't know this before I booked the flight and made the decision), it has great transportation, good weather, tons of things to do, great culture, good people, running/biking paths, low unemployment, and beach-front.<br />
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I've also been asked, "what are you worried about most?" That question is easy. It's not: finding a job, finding a place to live, being bitten/eaten/killed by 7 of the world's 10 most deadly critters, and it's not meeting people. It is: losing touch with the people I've already met. I've been incredibly lucky with the friends I've made and it would be "the worst" to lose touch with everyone. I realize this is a two-way street, but...things and stuff. I don't have a good answer.<br />
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Feel free to ask more questions, but I think the more exciting part will be in two days: the flight and arrival. My accommodations thus far (first week): <a href="http://www.flindersbackpackers.com.au/">http://www.flindersbackpackers.com.au/</a>.<br />
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Cheers.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14653828700996892260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615932881166615892.post-33112952183438885912012-08-20T11:54:00.001-07:002012-10-18T00:18:33.039-07:00Step 1: Leave Everything BehindOk ok, so the title is a bit melodramatic, I agree. But, I believe by the time you read this post, you'll find it hard to disagree that it's at very least true possession-wise, albeit hopefully not true in any other ways. Just as a recap - because this is the first post to what is intended to be an ongoing blog - this is where I'm at physically, plan-wise, and mentally:<br />
<br />
<u>Physically</u>: I'm currently in <b>Tucson, AZ</b>. My last day here is August 27th, 2012. I have been here since August of 2002.<br />
<u>Plan-wise</u>: I am moving to <b>Melbourne, Australia</b> on September 20th. Between end of August and the flight to Melbourne, I will be in Phoenix, Michigan, and Vegas. <br />
<u>Mentally</u>: This is the million dollar question...I'd say I'm mentally not here and haven't been for a while. Having been out of town (literally) half as much as I'm in town for the last year, it is hard to call a place "home" and equally difficult to show friends how much they mean without coming off as disingenuous...because you're ultimately moving. What I'm looking forward to most about moving, counter-intuitively, is being in one place. I realize the absurdity of that statement: moving around the world in an attempt to stay in one place that I can call "home". <br />
<br />
So, let's see, I started 2012 with an amazing house in a great location, an overwhelming amount of possessions (in retrospect), and a wonderful group of friends. My furniture consisted of 2 great (and new) sofas, a great bed frame (also less than a year old), a dresser, 2 end tables, a sizable kitchen table, a giant flat-screen TV, a filled bookcase, 3 bikes, and a futon. I also donated 6 car trips worth of items to Goodwill (<span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><u>https://plus.google.com/photos/106447775896181026498/albums/5778815943974220993?authkey=CM7mm-rO5LqNGw</u></span>). Yes, I have chronicled all items for tax purposes - feel free to ask, I also have it in list form. Truly, I'm actually a little upset with myself for putting it all in email (for the list portion) and not putting it in a google doc. My OCD weeps at the thought...<br />
<br />
This all begs the question, "what do you have left if you are lamenting so much over what you have gotten rid of?" Well my friend, I'm glad you asked. It's thankfully brief: one large suitcase of clothes (hot weather and cold weather), climbing gear (pack, rope, draws, and trad gear), 2 bikes (MTB still needs to be sold and commuter which will be left with my brother), camping gear (tent, sleeping bag, and pad...which may be left here depending on room), and a few electronics (laptop, iPad, and chargers). Or, in other words, 1.5 car loads worth (because of the bikes). The picture below shows what I plan to take with me on the trip (minus the bikes, camping gear, and most of the climbing gear).<br />
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My point in writing this - besides an update for anyone curious - is to share what it feels like to be rid of most of life's acquired possessions. It is/was surprisingly easy, which I don't say lightly. <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14653828700996892260noreply@blogger.com0Tucson, AZ, USA32.2217429 -110.92647932.0068154 -111.242336 32.436670400000004 -110.610622