...We are the sum of our experiences...: May 2006

Friday, May 26, 2006

Shoes

Anyone who is close to me knows my greatest vice. Shoes. I won’t elaborate too much but just know that I Really. Really. Like. Shoes.

Yesterday I stupidly went shopping with my best friend Laura (knowing full well my shoe cupboard is overstocked) and ended up buying two more pairs. One pair houndstooth pixie shoes. One pair heels in Mel Mel purple. So when I got home, I set about rearranging my cupboard in a vain effort to fit in another two shoe boxes… and found at the back of my cupboard a plastic bag which had slipped behind the towers of boxes.

A plastic bag last seen after the Big Day Out in January.

*insert feeling of dread*

Inside the (well sealed) plastic bag were my Dunlop Volleys from the Big Day Out which disappeared shortly after the event. For those of you not aware, the BDO is a huge music festival held in summer each year, which travels around to most capital cities in Australia. It’s a typical festival – loud music, crazy sideshows – but the BDO always seems to attract buckets of rain the night before, and 40 degree heat on the actual day.

Buckets of rain = mud. Enter Volleys. $12 from Kmart in Perth.

No intelligent person wears shoes costing over $20 to a BDO. That’s right fluffy-ugg-boot-wearing girls - I’m talking to you. Shoes are lost, hurled at dodgy acts, and almost always, you’re in mud over your ankles.

So. My Volleys. 5 months on, still caked in mud are currently soaking in a concoction of household cleaners in my laundry in an effort to bring them back to their original state. Unlikely. But there is still a grain of hope.

Thursday, May 25, 2006

University

Its been a pretty big week – AIESEC Australia’s Youth Leadership Convocation went off in Sydney on the weekend, and it was really awesome to catch up with the rest of the NLT (technically my first NLTM-ish conference) and the other invited delegates. I think one of the reasons it went well, was because it was different and none of the delegates really knew what to expect. I can only see YLC getting bigger each year.

This week I also had a turning point with university. I’ve spent the last few weeks of semester, specifically since APXLDS in the ‘university is pointless’ mindset, pretty much begging for anything that will take the pain of study away. YLC did give me a bit of an arse- kicking to just get my degree over with so I can do other things. Unfortunately I’m here until mid- 2008…

I never was a bad student; but lately everything I’m studying seems irrelevant so I’m disinterested. Prior to coming to university, I also had a year of work experience in the business field, so I started things off taking everything I was learning with a grain of salt. Seriously. Learning how to build business relations from a textbook? WTF mate. I think combined with the year of work experience prior to and coming into a degree knowing that almost everything I learn had to be taken with a grain of salt. Being an AIESECer too – where we know how to network, write proposals, manage teams and meet deadlines because that’s what we do – I end up very frustrated when everything we cover is theoretical.

In the whole time I’ve been studying at tertiary level, I’ve done around 16 different subjects. Of those, I’ve only found three either interesting or challenging (only once both), and the only common link between the three is how engaging the lecturer or tutor has been. All in all, its not a good ratio.

The first of these three subjects was my completely irrelevant (but so damned interesting) ‘Introductory Physical Anthropology’ which was my original major in an Arts degree. Still an area I’m hugely passionate about; as was my lecturer; which made the whole 13 weeks just brilliant. I’m still in touch with Bryce, and I’m pretty humbled that he remembers me seeing as though I was in his class for only a few weeks during 2004. It was the sort of atmosphere that actually made you feel guilty if you missed a lecture.

The second subject that I’ve found was the Management course I took last semester in my Business degree. Highly relevant. Ridiculously challenging. I had a tightly bonded class and a really unorthodox tutor, who I still keep in good contact with (QUTers will know him as ‘Simon’ the tutor who resides in the office next to ours). AIESEC, combined with Simon’s classes are probably the only reason I didn’t kill off my degree last year. The only time that I’ve enjoyed group work; ending in our group firing our HR director formally via our unit coordinator, and receiving top marks because of it. Ah…the only time I’ve experienced joy in managing a non-functioning team….

The third is, ironically, the subject that was my first taste of my Business degree, which was so close to me throwing in the towel after week 2. Anyone who has done this degree knows the horrors of 114. This year I decided to grit my teeth and take it on after dropping it before penalty in my first semester. After an early run-in with my tutor, I thought things would have been very downhill... (anyone who wants to hear the story...its quite amusing) Content is interesting, and its delivered by a tutor who is passionate about what she does.

Why aren't all academic staff like this!!!

There’s been so many random things happen in the time I’ve been at university – from lecturers complaining about their pay rates, 400 students vs. 1 lecturer arguments over poor lecture quality and assignments misplaced. Talking to the student support staff, you get to hear the real horror stories. I’m really hoping this is limited to the tertiary studies I’ve undertaken and isn’t a pattern across the board; or maybe its just my expectations are too high. At the same time though, I think that academic staff sometimes forget the impact they have on their students.

So people; tips and tricks to surviving university as an AIESECer?

Monday, May 15, 2006

Congratulations!

Heartiest congrats to Rahul, everyone's favourite 'kinky bear' from @UAE! Welcome to the presidential fray!

Sunday, May 14, 2006

Dmitri's Party

Last night was Dmitri's 'twenteenth' (20th) Birthday party. I think we all expected that it would be a big night, if last year's was anything to judge by. Last year, we started on the lawn of HoB'r (House of Blonder) and ended up clubbing in the city until around 3 or 4am.

This year...well...I won't go into too many details.... lets just say that Dangerous Dan organised Dimmey a *SURPRISE*. The shisha that Maher from UAE gave Azz at APXLDS came out, Nakey James broke a vodka bottle by hurling it against a tree (nearly hitting his own car in the process) and there was just far, far too much goon.

Most definatly, the best part of the night was seeing my housemate, Markles Sparkles (Mark) drunk. Mark and I have known each other since we were seven, and started living in the same apartment in January 2005 just before I started university in Brisbane. In that whole time, I've seen him tipsy...maybe once. Back in highschool, I remember being incredibly grateful of Markles looking after me at the formal after party, and again at my 18th. Since we've been living together, he's put up with me stumbling home, struggling to get my key in the door, housing all the AIESEC bodies that always inhabit our 70's pornstar apartment after a night out, then seeing me down Berocca the next morning on countless occaisions.

Seeing Markles drunk for the first time was an honor.

I checked on him this morning. There was a bucket sitting in his bathroom.

I am so damned proud.

Thursday, May 11, 2006

Prepare for a rant...

Ranting time.

I’ve just spent the last two days at (read below posting) a vegetable conference. On the upside, there were a lot more women there than I expected. Unfortunately again, I was one of around 5 (from 400) under 30. Bugger. The two biggest issues are water and succession. On a micro scale, this is awesome for me. For the whole conference it felt like I had a neon sign on my forehead which said ‘I’m a young, unemployed and I’m taking bids now’. I was offered everything from tours, to holiday work, to ‘come to my country’ and ‘we will pay for your degree’.

On a larger scale though, it means that the industry is not going to be too happy in 30 years time. At this conference they released their initial draft of the vision for Australia’s horticultural industry for the year 2020, with a huge push of getting young people involved. During a panel discussion, a woman stood up and commented that she had attended a youth in agriculture forum, and was concerned that she was one of only 4 representatives of horticulture. Great comment. A little unnerving that she’s in her 40’s and has 5 kids. At the moment, their definition of ‘young’ seems to be anyone under 50.

I defiantly learned a lot. Everything from genetically modified foods, organics, fair-trade billboards, quarantine, cool chain management and disease control. Sounds thrilling? When it comes down to it, people have got to eat. And they’ve got to drink. As much as this hurts me to say (anyone close to me knows my…weakness) we don’t need designer shoes or iPods. Sure, I love them. I’m not about to sell up the contents of my apartment and go build a water infrastructure in Vietnam, but at the same time I’m not going to spend my life working on something that is expendable.

At the moment I’m trying to make some sense out of the jumble of government and business – trying to get some clarity on who I should be talking to, what I should be learning and where I should be going. I’ve looked up everything from government graduate programs and departments, grants, international tours, independent organisations and what AIESECers are up to. I’ve got no doubt I’ll end up working in the Middle East (the gurus of sustainable water use) after my degree – be it with AIESEC or by my own steam, and because my degree has fuck all to do with this industry need to start working schtuff out now.

On a related note. If you don’t already know, I fucking love my LC. I rocked up to the office this morning to find the details of a water sustainability event on the whiteboard, and assurances that if I go to the event, rather than this week’s LCM they’ll have things covered (‘sif I would ditch my LC). I’m just so impressed with how much these guys have picked up the concept of @XP and are running with it. Daniel from Bangladesh (MCVPICX elect) told me at AP that having an entire LC of brand new members would be an awesome thing, rather than a burden. Over the last couple of weeks, I’m totally convinced.

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

The girls of QUT

On Wednesday last week, the QUT elected its Executive Board for 2006, and I’m not sure that I’ve ever been prouder to be part of AIESEC, and part of this LC. This is the first time since August 2005 that we’ve had a full EB – in January this year we were down to only three members, and were totally relying on a successful recruitment to keep running.

At State, things were still tentative. I was still clarifying my own role as a new LCP, and had no idea who was planning to run for a position in the days following. But when it came to election night, and pouring a jug of ‘goon water’ over my new team’s heads, I couldn’t have been prouder. Or stop grinning.

My girls: Nic, Em, Kezz and Ayesha. Nic was recruited directly into an EB position in November. The three latter were recruited in March, members by April and on the executive by May. Tonight when Azz and I left the office at around 5pm, the whole EB was still there. Freaking awesome.

These girls are always in the office. Always at the pub. Always coming up with ideas and high ambitions. They epitomise ‘work hard, party harder’…especially if election night is any judge of things…boys coming to July National Conference…consider yourselves suitably warned…Unbelievable amount of thanks already to the people who have helped us get this far, and are continuing to give us guidance. I swear I’m getting LCP transition from half of Australia and the odd international, and especially Azz and St. James for being able to say ‘Jess. You’re shit. But I’ll help you be better.’ (Queensland in-joke).

The girls have already had a swift learning curve – a brain dump of AIESEC knowledge, expectations, drinking games and acronyms; but also, they’ve been forced to interpret ‘Jess-Speak’.

DICTIONARY OF JESS (inspired by AIESEC Singapore’s ‘Singlish’ powerpoint at AP!)

Sexy: Similar to ‘excellent’. Most often related to inanimate objects, or items which are unlikely to be described in such a way. Used in a sentence: ‘Oh my god, our LC plan is so sexy!’

BAM! Originally ‘ninja’d’ (see below definition) from Mike in South Australia. Used to add emphasis, or to agree. Used in a conversation: ‘Are we going to the pub tonight?’ Response: ‘BAM!’

Ninja’d: Origin is uncertain. Adopted by my housemate while playing WOW (World of Warcraft). Similar to ‘stolen’ or ‘borrowed’. Used in a sentence: ‘I ninja’d your last M&M.’

Schmooze: Similar to ‘network’. Used to reference to the activity undertaken at an event to the number of event attendees that I have the opportunity to speak with. Used in a sentence: ‘An uber event equals a grand scale of corporate schmooze.’

Schweet: Derived from ‘sweet’. Used to agree. Used in a sentence: ‘I just stole the Epiglottis Cup.’ Response: ‘SCHWEET!’

Swanky: Used to describe a well organised and high-calibre event. Used in a sentence: ‘If we run an uber swanky event, then BAM! things will be sexy.’

PHRASEBOOK OF JESS

‘I can’t believe you have any friends’: Used to highlight a close friend’s stupidity, yet unwavering friendship on my part; despite said stupidity. Used in a conversation:
Friend: ‘I thought my flight was 6:00 PM not AM!’
Jess: ‘I can’t believe you have any friends’

‘I hate you.’ Translation: ‘You are a close and highly friend, but currently are you are highly irritating.’

‘I’m playing the … card’ Used in an attempt to excuse my own knowledge or experience gaps and avoid undertaking a required action. Used in a sentence: ‘I’m playing the LCP ELECT card.’

Sunday, May 07, 2006

Australian Vegetable Industry

There was an article in today’s Courier Mail about the issues facing Australian agriculture – outside of the drought. It really highlighted the diversity of the industry – but most importantly, the current reality for primary producers. Drought conditions, severe skill and labour shortages, a monopoly on prices dictated by our two main supermarket chains and countless disease and pest issues, export barriers. Reading this article, you’d have to be insane to be a primary producer.

I’m originally from the Lockyer Valley; the ‘Salad Bowl of Australia’ and I’m from a background of primary production in horticulture. Moving from a rural area to Brisbane for university has been a real slap in the face in regards to the rural-urban divide. If you want to see me fired up come talk to me about water. I honestly only think that people who live in the metropolitan areas of Australia only realise the scale of the issue when they’re put on water restrictions. By the same token, I’ve never seen so many people bitch about water restrictions in my life.

Fuck your hydrangeas and gladiolas.
And I don’t care that you have to sweep off your driveway now.

I’m part of a generation of young Australians that have never seen a ‘good season’. An entire generation of young people that is moving to metropolitan areas, because they realise its not a viable option to remain where they are. But that is defiantly not me. While I was at APXLDS (translation for non- AIESECers: ‘Asia- Pacific Exchange Leadership Development Seminar) in the Philippines I realised that I’ve got the opportunity to make a real impact on the issue of water sustainability. Being in the Philippines where, even at resorts, you can’t drink the tap water was a huge wake up call for me.

In a couple of days I’m off to a conference with the Australian Vegetable Industry to try and get a better perspective on it all. I’ll be hearing presentations from the CEO of McDonalds Australia, Peter Bush the Federal Minister for Agriculture, Peter McGauran and representatives from Coles and Woolworths.

The last large conference I attended comparable to this one was the ‘International Society of Horticultural Science’s Asia- Pacific Summit’ about two years ago, along with around 300 others from Australia and the AP region. During one of the speeches on succession planning, the speaker asked all those under the age of 25 to stand up.

I was one of 5. The other 4 were on the Organising Committee.

I was also the only female.

That alone is an unnerving. Lets hope that this conference isn’t similar.

First post of many...

By all rights, I shouldn't be here right now.

When I decided to create a blog it took a ridiculous amount of time, and countless emails to our blog-guru Dody. After days of getting things sorted out, and my proud first post...Azz pointed out to me that I'd mispelled my own name in my blog address....

How. Blonde.

Anyway, here is my original posting...

After being a blog- voyer for so long, I’ve finally decided to enter the fray. It has taken a while and much consideration; particularly given that I’m technologically inept… but here’s my basic though process:

1. Ew…effort…
2. Isn’t this a little too self-absorbing?
3. What if I attract a crazy stalker person…hmm…
4. Meh.
5. Ohhh templates! What template!
6. What!!! My mentor has a blog! Right...that’s it…

So here we are; the first offical posting; an insight into Brisbane public transport.I'm a Toowoomba girl, where public transport just isn't the done thing. It's only really used sporadically for pensioners - seriously - the majority catch taxis. I had never caught public transport until coming to Brisbane, and even now I can only really manage the City Cat (the ferry service which operates on the Brisbane river). Even then, I've caught a 'cat' going in the wrong direction more than once.

But, I'm up for challenges and every now and then I feel a little daring and hop a bus. Daring because I stil can't read bus timetables. Something I'm working on learning okay...Anyway, today's bus trip has honed the 'never talk to strangers' theme for me. I struck up a conversation with the well- dressed business woman sitting next to me on the bus today. She helped me locate my bus, I thought it only polite.

Me: So...you must have had a long day at work...its nearly 9pm
Lady: Yes, but I'm planning a trip overseas with my mother
Me: Oh! Where to!
Lady: Cambodia, I was there about a year ago - wonderful place. I'm planning to go to Thailand also.
Me: Oh really? What's it like - what did you see?
Lady: Lots of monuments in Cambodia, but the most influential part of my trip was the Killing Fields in Cambodia...hold on...*fishes through wallet and pulls out a photograph of herself smiling calmly beside a stack of human skulls*
Me: Erm...that's an interesting...photograph...to carry in your wallet...um...this is my stop...

My public transport abilities:
- ANYTHING by City Cat
- City to home via bus
- Home to the Valley via train

...We are the sum of our experiences...