Here is my week in review - pictorially
Picture 1 - (Last Friday)
A try hard black & white shot of Hyde Park en route to Sydney Uni law library. Although the usyd library has the priviledge of being located in close proximity to the judicial end of town, I must say that I found it a bit disappointing. Oh yeah, someone was getting married in a blue wedding dress that day - what was she thinking?!? I think they were Canterbury supporters in light of the blue and white theme, and the ethnic background (I know ... generalisation).
Picture 2 - (Last Sunday)
Mother's Day dinner. Spent a considerable amount of time learning how to hold my chopsticks properly. How can I label myself an Asian if I insist on 'crossing' my chopsticks. It's so shameful! But the stomach vetoed the shame when the food was disappearing and I was still trying to hold those sticks in a parallel fashion. It's painful to watch people dig at the fish whilst you are paralysed in the non-parallel chopstick mode! I look like a sped in that photo, either that or I look like I have braces.
Picture 3 - (Wednesday)
Mindy's graduation. Nice affair with an impassioned speech by the lady who is representing Australia @ the Robo-Dog Soccer World Cup. Funny how all the Asians line up at the food table, just like it was a buffet. At least you didn't have to use chopsticks in the correct parallel manner, or else I would have missed out.
Picture 4 - (Wednesday to Thursday)
Picture of the Novotel @ St Kilda.
I had a very fulfilling coupla days in Melbourne - bar for the fact that I am now stricken with the flu. This is disastrous in light of the fact that I have a fortnight's worth of exams coming up. Who am I kiddin' ... it would be disastrous regardless. Ack! Feeling all delirious and non-mentally stable.
So yeah, I had lots of fun this trip, largely due to the following:
Even though I'm pretty damn sure she was the disease carrier, she is one of the most left-field characters I have ever encountered in my life. She doesn't conform to any notions of normal or professional, and neither does she give a damn about that. She talks about sex incessantly, draws pictures of 'mushroom patches' (think phallic because she does), makes passes at any eligible guy between 17-60 (she was ACTUALLY flirting with one of our N.Z colleagues who was no doubt married), asks my manager whether he got some on his wife's birthday, flashes her belly button to get an upgrade to business class, claims Morticia Adams as her role model (because she is the perfect 'corporate' wife and has her every whim attended to by Gomez), makes bras out of tissue/napkins, misses out on work christmas dinner because she has to get some ... oh the list goes on and on. I really think that a lot of the men in this office are completely flummoxed by her and just don't know how to handle her. All I can say is that I am never sitting next to her for an extended period of time because she is TOO distracting. I should mention that she is equally as intelligent and capable as well as crass and shocking.
As mentioned in the comments, I was actually in the same lift as Simon (the Brisbane guy from My Restaurant Rules). And to answer your hard hitting questions Rebecca:
* He looks far better in real life - he is SOOOOO blonde!
* Yes I think he was visiting the Melb restaurant - we were at a pub literally 10m away.
* Gobsmacked because I am a sucker for any celeb ranging from A to Z class.
* I was paralysed in the lift for at least 3 seconds too long - my work colleague was motioning me to get out but I was too awestruck to move. I must have looked like such an idiot. Reminds me of the time I met Penny Taylor - so exciting!
And Chad - we were across the road from Toppolina's but didn't get a chance to go in for a bite ... maybe next time.
How cool is the Qantas Lounge? Answer: very cool! Albeit there seems to be more people in the lounge compared to the departure Lobby (phenomena reminiscent of the MBA conundrum - i.e. the more ppl the less prestigious it seems). Nevertheless, you still get FREEEEEEEE wine, beer, soft drinks, coffee/tea, food (buffet style), massages, showers, wireless, magazines, TV. Although I was too scared to scam a free massage because they may have figured out that I'm a phoney!
Sometimes it's good to be out of your element, other times it's just completely overwhelming. I realised the following over the past 2 days: I am hopelessly knowledge/skills deficient; no matter how hard you try and be mature, people just don't respect you when you are the youngest in the mob; big boys club is alive and kicking in corporations; presentation/public speaking skills is the key to providing that extra edge. So what do you do when faced with all that AND having to introduce yourself to the room - rely on self deprecating comments of course, specifically: "My name is blah blah and I started last October. I guess you could call me the pleb of the group". At least I got a chuckle.
PS: New photos added - more to come due to FTP suckage on the part of fotopic.
PPS: Anyone think of a nice getup to hold a 21st - please leave suggestions in comments. You may even get an invite ... though there is probably a disclaimer to that offer.
