Tuesday, February 27, 2007

How much have you spent?

"Nothing is more expensive than a missed opportunity."

(H. Jackson Brown, Jr.)

posted by Jess @ 5:33 AM 0 Comments

Post-recruitment Chillax

The new office is feeling homely.

Kezz is working on induction in the main office, I’m down the hall on the couch in the board room; laptop perched on my knees in my usual corner, and Azz is wandering between the two spaces.

Azz and I have class from 7 – 9 tonight, so we’re milling around; he’s working on recruitment; finalising lecture bashes, and I’m pottering around with formatting some documents to the sweet sounds of Ms. Polly Jean Harvey.

Chilled out.
Relaxed.

The way the office should be really.

posted by Jess @ 12:02 AM 1 Comments

Friday, February 23, 2007

'All my friends are getting married...'

I only realise that I'm getting older, because I see that my friends are growing up.

Between now and the end of the year, my social calendar will have made a drastic turn from nights out at the 'Tats' and blurry house parties back home, to engagements, weddings and baby showers, but as of today, its momentum has peaked. Miranda and Charles are getting married in December '07/ January '08 and...

...I'm going to be a bridesmaid!

You all really, really need to watch this video. Hopefully, if I encounter similar wedding- crisis I'll be much calmer and not continually suggest champagne as the solution for all bridal dramas.

posted by Jess @ 4:49 PM 0 Comments

Thursday, February 22, 2007

Today Tonight (again)

This show just keeps digging a deeper hole...

This article section is from ninemsn, on Thursday February 22, 2007

Seven apologises for misleading story

The Seven Network has apologised for the embarrassing and silly actions of a Today Tonight reporter who supplied chains to aid his story about an elderly woman being evicted from a nursing home.

The current affairs show's lead story on Tuesday night showed 84-year-old Shirley Frey chained to a cupboard in her nursing home because she was facing eviction from the centre.
In the story, reporter Nicholas Boot said Ms Frey was refusing to budge by "chaining herself to her room".

However, when officials visited Willoughby Retirement Hostel in Chatswood, in Sydney's north, to check on Ms Frey, they discovered the chains were a stunt set up by the television show.

posted by Jess @ 4:57 AM 0 Comments

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Mater/ Pater?

With uni next week and with a little bit of time to spare, I started cleaning out my shortcuts which are in no decent order, and I stumbled across a link to information about the Mosuo; an ethnic Chinese culture that is one of the world’s few matriarchal societies.

The world’s known matriarchal societies can be covered in a single Wikipedia section. In fact, there are four documented ones, existing in China, the Western Sahara and Columbia/ Venezuela/ Guinea… just makes you wonder:

a) how our society became so patriarchal; but also
b) why factors caused these few cultures (in completely different world regions) adopted a counter culture.

posted by Jess @ 3:54 PM 0 Comments

threefifty

I might be a bit sunburned, and losing my voice but I’m still loving this week. Kezz made it for me today, after she and a group of QUT guys rocked up at UQ’s market day (where the UQ guys had been since around 7:30am) to ‘make sure that we hit our 350.’

Three hundred and fifty.

It’s become a golden number. 350 high quality members in Australia by July. I’ve never seen a recruitment so committed; the MC on the ground recruiting, text messages flitting between members and states with updates. There's just so much energy.

Recruitment Tally: 42/50

posted by Jess @ 2:39 AM 0 Comments

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Post #100


I’ve just knocked off two days worth of recruitment; the first at GU, the second at QUT (Carseldine). Tomorrow, I’m off to UQ, and Thursday I’ll be at both QUT and GU. Friday, I’ll be where I’m needed. Throw in a few meetings with university and TN takers, finalizing my work in Brisbane as well as preparing for university and you’ve got my week.

Today, QUT had recruitment at Carseldine; that alone is a feat. As far as I know, we’ve never really been successful there. We had over 40 sign-ups and it wasn’t even a real recruitment day; Azz just managed to get us in to hijack first year student induction day. The ‘real’ Carseldine recruitment is next week.

On the way home with Taiwan Dave, with music blaring, I started thinking about where we were at recruitment last year; an LC of 2.5 with a stall manned by alumni and available members from the region.

Zip forward 12 months to 2007 and for this one day at QUT, this one not-even-really-recruitment-day we had 9; Azz, Kezz, Naomi, Em, Dave, Cathy, Amanda, Shine and myself. All absolutely dedicated members.

Today, and the next few weeks, I know will make me feel so proud about the year that was 2006. I’m watching an LC that could have been disbanded, purely on lack of members, put in a huge amount of work (special shout out to Azz) to make sure that this never happens again. I’m seeing work and decisions that the 2006 EB made finally coming to fruition, and that the mistakes that we had been making over and over again were finally being resolved, and that finally, after saying it over and over, while trying to keep afloat, we were in to start something big.
By the way, I'm going to personally recruit 50 members across the region over the next two weeks.
Recruitment Tally: 17/50

posted by Jess @ 2:04 AM 0 Comments

Sunday, February 18, 2007

Scary numbers.

ABS 2001 supplied this is a fucking scary statistic on Australia's rural youth:

Percent of young people who plan to leave small towns: 75-90%
...girls: 85%
...boys: 71%

posted by Jess @ 3:58 AM 0 Comments

Personolgy

For my birthday, I received a book on 'Personology'; and according to it I was born on 'The Day of Exacting Realism'.

My strengths are that I'm technical, detailed and a perfectionist.
My weaknesses are that I'm unreliable, emotionally difficult and self- indulgent.

It notes that my personal mantra is: 'Non-attachment is a good thing, but one can become attached to that as well.'

posted by Jess @ 3:11 AM 0 Comments

Saturday, February 17, 2007

Company.


Ok, so right now it’s devoid of fish. But I’ll give you an update next weekend.

And some names.

Any suggestions?

posted by Jess @ 11:43 PM 0 Comments

Thursday, February 15, 2007

A predicament.

Nine Inch Nails. Tickets on sale on the 23rd for the show on the 7th of May.

Do I buy them at risk of clashing with NLTM's?

posted by Jess @ 9:49 PM 1 Comments

Blue Screen of Death?

All the signs are there. Impending Blue Screen of Death.

Slow to boot up.

Non-functioning sound card.

All my icons are selected for some reason. And won't unselect.

I really, really need to back-up.

posted by Jess @ 6:11 PM 0 Comments

Random.

I currently like:
Mazda's customer service.
New Order.
French Toast.
The 'Jellyfish' dance move.
Australian Institute of Managment's White Papers

I dislike:
Turning down invitations. This Saturday I have a 21st, an engagement party and a football game.
Having itchy 'I-want-to-travel' feet

I am currently:
Applying for Queensland Youth Parliament.
Cleaning.
In love with the new QUT Office (boastful photos will be posted as soon as I take in my camera)

posted by Jess @ 1:13 AM 0 Comments

Friday, February 09, 2007

Flights

I swear. It doesn't matter which city I'm in. Who I'm flying with. How early I plan to arrive. Or where I'm going.

I always seem to be late (or very nearly late) for a flight.

I'm back in Sydney.

posted by Jess @ 6:24 AM 0 Comments

Thursday, February 08, 2007

Epic Update

Right now I’m chilling out. Chilling out between conferences, my 21st and finishing up from work. Chilling out before Star Sellers kicks off this weekend, and I’m launched back into university, work and Overflow. I thought it’d be a good way to do a recap of the happenings over the few weeks or so.

ANCON
ANCON was a few weeks ago now, but it’s still fresh in my memory. That conference made me feel two things.

1. Reflective.
The OC and the hosting region (Adelaide!) were absolutely fantastic. Adelaide was easily (content, logistically, the vibe… everything) the best national conference I’ve been to. Reflective, because it made me think a lot about July 2006 in Brisbane, and wonder how the hell our RB pulled things off – I can barely remember that conference at all. In fact, I can only actually remember one session, I couldn’t tell you whose dorm room I was in, or what the parties were like. Ryan has a theory that my LCP term scarred me indefinitely. I just think it’s given me selective memory.

2. Old.
Old because I realised that it was my fourth national conference, I’m gearing up to start my third year as an AIESECer, and I can no longer pull the ‘newbie’ card. But the revelation didn’t come because of this; it came because I realised (firstly) that my generation of members were ‘old’. My NLT are the members of the incoming MC, or their H4TF. Not old in a bad way, more old in that I’m going to be coming into this year with very different perspectives.

21st Birthday
I had a fantastic birthday, back in Toowoomba - which involved everyone from Brisbane finding their way out there - to party on my front lawn, which Noz likens (somehow) to a beach party. For some, it was a long night of chatting and drinking – all very relaxed.

As birthday girl, I was very spoiled with port, shoes (thanks Hez, Noz and Laura!), bling and a million other things. Photos will come as soon as I ninja them from Kezz and Patrice. A big thank you to all the messages I received (it seriously seemed like half the country had their phones out…)

A pretty good way to get a year older.

Being 21
In the vein of Mel Mel’s ‘Year in Review’ update a few weeks, ago, I’ve been thinking a lot of what I’ve been up to for the last 21 years.

:: Traveled to every state and territory in Australia
:: Worked in government, private and not-for profit sectors
:: Traveled to thirteen countries (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, England, Fiji, France, Italy, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Spain and the United States.
:: Lived in five houses
:: Attended three schools
:: Attended two universities
:: moved from 'connies and boardies' to skirts and dresses
:: Changed the direction of my life (in a major way) three times
:: had hot pink hair
:: switched from coffee to tea
:: made countless friends
:: made numerous enemies
:: lived out of home for two years
:: read thousands of books
:: had (at least) seven email accounts

I'm sure there's a million more things I could write about... but I'll leave it for now. I'll keep thinking though...

Sad
I’m hugely sad that in just a month, my favourite, most loved, wonderful trainee and one of my closest friends is heading home (as trainees tend to do… I was just hoping she’d decide to stay).
Bo is ending her one year (extended to 18 months) internship with IR, and heading to places new. From my first instructions as a newbie that ‘you need to get talking to the trainee before she gets here… plus find out how to say her name…’ then followed countless MSN conversations, to the airport pickup, late night dinners after my 9pm class, cheap Thai food then four months with Bo as a fantastic housemate… *sigh*

:: So, for pancake breakfasts
:: All the ‘wah make everything better!’ conversations
:: for Manic Street Preachers and the Cure
:: for Brian Molko
:: and shisha afternoons on the balcony (I could never forget)

Going to miss you Turk.

Congratulations
On a different note, a huge congratulations to Miranda (who I know reads this from time to time) on her engagement! That adds to the 2007 total, two engagement parties, one wedding and a new baby among my close group of friends.

Sydney
Leaving (again) this afternoon. Back in Brisbane Thursday.

posted by Jess @ 9:16 PM 1 Comments

Thursday, February 01, 2007

Last day at work...

Today was my final day of work after three months full time, and I was incredibly spoiled by my workmates. Between today’s desk clearing, form filling, phone handover and final 'I'm out' emails...

I also had...
- A lot of cake
- Chocolates
- Perfume

So what did I learn in those three months? So much.

- I developed a real understanding of government bureaucracy, and the demands that are placed on their officials
- How different employee attitudes are within government compared with the private sector
- The amazing systems that are created within government… that no-one on the ‘outside’ seems to know about

What will I miss?
- My own massive desk.
- Those times when you’re just ‘in the zone’ of being organised and getting things done; days when you just seem to embody efficiency
- Casual chats with DG’s and Ministers who call.
- The EA network
- The Intranet
- Friday afternoon 'EA Call Around' (When all the EA's call each other to confirm diaries for our managers for the week ahead)

posted by Jess @ 7:17 PM 0 Comments