Locked Out on a Monday Morning

Yesterday, I got to work a little past 8.30am and I see my officemates camped outside our security door. Apparently, we were locked out due to a glitch.

Since I'm very silly, I've decided to draw up a rough sketch of the scene.

Yes, there is an actual sofa and a table there. I did NOT just put them there because I found them on MS Word clipart.

The broken lines represent security doors but the first door from the lobby is only security protected outside office hours. The door at the bottom was the one we needed to get into. The other door (top part) that goes to the other side of the building was not locked. However, since the two sides of our floor were not linked, it was useless to us.

So, there were about a dozen of us, waiting (where the sofa and table were) for the door to magically open. I'm sure we all read through all of the three newspapers that were there. I surely did. We even went out for coffee (I also had raisin toast) on the company's tab while waiting.

But, technology being what it is and building managers being conveniently stuck in traffic, we were only let inside at around 10.30am. Welcome to the modern age.

Australia Day and lots of sleep

We had Friday off as it was Australia Day. No idea what that entails (because I'm not Australian, duh) and still don't as I spent most of the day sleeping. IT WAS SO GOOD.

I woke up past 11 o'clock in the morning, had semi-brunch (couldn't be bothered cooking), read in bed, might've dozed again then properly woke up at past 3pm and went to DFO (Direct Factory Outlet) to do some shopping. It was a success and I went home with lots of spoils.

For $120, I ended up with: 2 dresses, 4 tank tops, 3 T shirts, 2 pairs of pants, 1 pair capri pants, 1 pair shorts, 1 midriff cardigan. Really good, huh? I so love it.

Saturday was pretty much the same with me spending most of the day in bed. My body so needed the sleep.
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We did go out Saturday evening to watch Pan's Labyrinth. It was amazing. Very nice cinematography and effects. Good story too. I would've loved it but it was too brutal for my taste. There were too many scenes where I was cringing in my seat and covering my eyes. Admittedly, I am queasy, but D also said it was too brutal for him too.

And I thought we were going to see a Fairy Tale for Adults kind of thing. Which it was. But the other side of the film felt very sadistic. Think Tim Burton but darker. A lot darker.

I do recommend watching it. Just be ready for shock value gore. Also, it's in Spanish and is subtitled so it might not be everybody's cup of tea.

Edit

I've edited this blog to include pictures in the entry itself, in addition to external links...

Pics from the Australian Open

Since I'm too lazy to edit my last post, I'm creating a new one to upload our pics.

Going carless for a while

Well, the lease people emailed me yesterday about my car lease. This is what they said:

I regret to advise that we are unable to finance your vehicle based on your current visa conditions.

Once you have obtained a permanent visa, we will be able to assist with your vehicle purchase.

Regards

Crap. I think it's because they don't understand how my visa works, more than anything else. How utterly annoying.

I don't feel as bad about it (don't get me wrong, i'm still annoyed. but not as devastated as i thought i'd be) because:

1. I like having D drive me around.
2. It's still summer so catching a tram+bus home isn't too big a drama. As long as D can bring me to work in the mornings, it's all good. The ride home also affords me more reading time.
3. I was having second thoughts about the manual drive in the car I was getting through the lease. I think automatic might be better for me at this stage.
4. We can opt to buy a second hand car instead. Which would be way cheaper, meaning more money for travel!

D and I have been discussing the pros and cons of having 2 cars. It would cost heaps more to maintain an additional car (insurance, registration, parking, maintenance ++) but I miss being independent. I miss being able to drive around by myself.

I'll still get a car but I'll probably hold off for another couple of months. Will definitely start seriously looking before it gets too wintery cold though.

Australian Open

I didn't find time to blog about our Australian Open experience yesterday as I was busy searching on the net for gift ideas for D's birthday which is next week!
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I really enjoyed the tennis. The day definitely needed more sunshine but at least the rain held off until late in the day.


This is how our day went:

D wakes me up early on Sunday (barely even 8!) just because he was too excited to sleep in. The games were scheduled to begin at 11am so you can imagine my reaction when he woke me too early. Not a pretty sight.

I crawled out of bed at around 9 o'clock, puttered around the house for a bit, got D to make some coffee, packed necessary things (tickets, metcards, venue map, match schedule, cap, extra jumper, umbrella, water bottle, etc) and was out the door by 10. We went to the grocery and bakery to pick up some baon.

We drove to the train station, parked the car (more on this later) and waited 16 minutes for the next train to Richmond.

We got to the Vodafone Arena at quarter to 11 and were able to score decent seats. It was around this time that D realized he had accidentally left his keys inside the car. Hehe, that is so like me. As we couldn't do anything about it then, we decided to sit and enjoy the tennis (well, I did anyway. I'm sure D was stressing about it the whole day).

We decided to watch the first 3 matches in Vodafone Arena before making our way to the outside courts.

They were:

Haas vs Mayer
Peer vs Kuznetsova
Vaidisova vs Dementieva

As I am not a sports commentator and am too lazy, you'll have to read the links for the match summaries.

My dad asked me if it was different watching it live rather than on TV. It definitely is. The atmosphere, the watching-things-unfold-as-they-happen and no commercials make the experience worthwhile. On the downside, you don't get replays or commentaries (then again, that's not such a bad thing anyway). I wish I had scheduled more days to watch this year. Oh well. I'll definitely be back next year. I'm hoping my dad gets to join me then...

We were headed for Show Court 3 to watch a doubles game when it started to drizzle steadily.

Vera Dushevina (RUS)/Maria Kirilenko (RUS)
vs
Martina Hingis (SUI)/Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS)

We got to the court but all play was delayed and everything was very wet. We decided to call it a day and go home.
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p.s.
D (using packing tape he scrounged in the arena) was able to break into his car in less than a minute. I was duly impressed.

p.p.s
I'll post some pictures later as I don't have the memory sticks with me here.

My second favorite letter

I discovered another letter which I liked very much. I Griega (Y) in the Spanish alphabet. I like the way it's called.

Last night, we went to our first Spanish class which turned out to be very enjoyable. Teacher Judith looked stern at the beginning but turned out to be casual and laidback. I also liked how diverse our classmates were and how everybody was just eager to learn.

And, on top of all that, I found another favorite letter! =P

My favorite is still the Tamarbuta in the Arabic alphabet.
I like its name, how it looks like and the way you use it. I Griega comes a close second though.

Deja Vu and Updates

We went to an advance screening of Deja Vu last night. It wasn't bad. Very action and suspense-y.

It's one of those movies where you have to just sit back and enjoy and try not to think about it too much. Because if you start to think about it, you'd realize a lot of things don't really make sense.

If you like action and suspense movies, don't miss this one. Best seen in the big screen, imho.

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After 2 nights of tinkering, I was finally able to wirelessly connect my mac to our cable connection. I had to do a lot of research (I didn't even know what SSID or WEP Keys were. Hmm, come to think about it, I still don't.) and trial and errors before finally figuring it out. D helped, in his own way. =)

I only had to input the right combination of SSID and WEP key! Sounds very technical and know-it-all, right? Woohoo! I'm going to learn mactech. I'm sure of it.

Thanks to that unnameless soul who (albeit unknowingly) was letting me sponge of his wireless network connection for the past couple of nights. Lesson: password protect your network.

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Tonight we're going to our first Spanish class.
I'm excited.
I need a new notebook.

Irony is...

I left work early yesterday (gone by quarter to 5) so that I could go and pick up my lovely, long-awaited MacBook from the shop which closes at 5.30. D picked me up and we braved the scorching heat (about 40ºC) and rush hour traffic to try to get to the shop in time. We did.

After a short wait, some paperwork and signatures, I got my new toy. We headed home (after a brief stop at the library) and I quickly unpacked the laptop from its box.

Just as I was about to plug the Book into the powerpoint, our power went out. Yes, people, THERE WAS A POWER OUTAGE. So, for the better part of an hour, I was looking at my brand new toy longingly but could do nothing else but stare at it.

It was funny but so typical as well. Hehe.

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All's well that ends well as I was able to play with my new toy for the rest of the night.

By 11 o'clock, D was threatening to let me be, so I could sleep with my Mac instead of him. I would have happily acquiesced but I didn't want to go to counseling after just 4 months of marriage.

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So, for the next month, I'll be busy learning OS X and unlearning Windows (well, I can't really as I still have to use it at work). Wish me luck!

Weekend

D and I went to the Rooftop Cinema last Friday night to watch Bright Young Things with Karima and her sister. It was great, both the cinema and the movie. Would highly recommend both.

The cinema had a mini bar where you could buy drinks and snacks while waiting for the movie to start (which took a while, since we got there past 7 o'clock and the movie started when it got dark which was a little past 9 pm). Only downside was the elevator was broken when we were coming in so we had to hike 7 floors up. Ouch.

Next time, we would opt to grab snacks at the bar instead of having dinner beforehand so that waiting time wouldn't seem that long. Suggest you come in early (doors open at 7) to save seats. They tend to fill up. Another tip: rent one of the blankets they have for hire ($5 each, all proceeds go to charity), even if you think you won't need it, as the night cools down to a chill.

All in all, it was a really great experience. $18+booking fee.
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Yesterday (Sunday), we went and had a picnic barbecue at Sugarloaf Dam in Christmas Hills. D's family were supposed to join us but they all piked so it was just me, D and Kev. We brought steaks, sausages, salads and a 6-pack. Makings of a good picnic. Yum, yum.

After we ate, D and Kev went to try their luck with the fishing. I stayed at the picnic site to finish the book I was reading (The Fabulist by Stephen Glass, not worth reading really). After I was done with my book, I went to look for them but encountered 3 kangaroos instead. I was walking around the park, minding my own business, when I looked up to see 3 kangaroos staring at me. Freaky. Needless to say, I stopped looking for the boys and decided to wait for them at the picnic site instead. I'm not very nature-y.

It was a good way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon though and, for once, the weather cooperated.

1001 Books

I'll be blogging about reading through 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die here.

sleepless nights, marie antoinette and other things

i've been having trouble sleeping the past couple of nights. not really sure what it is, but i have a sneaking suspicion it's job dissatisfaction. i've been really bored at work lately. not enough to do and even when there's work to be done, not challenging enough. i really shouldn't complain as they're paying me decent enough. but i need mental stimulation!
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last night, D and I watched Marie Antoinette. it was my turn to choose a movie (the last time, we had to watch through his excruciating movie choice: Eragon. sucked big time. seriously.)

it wasn't too bad, could've been better. Sophia Coppola directed it and I was hoping for more of a "Lost in Translation" experience.

started out okay but dragged on for the last half hour of the movie. lots of scenes that did not seem all that necessary. nice cinematography and period pieces though.

my reco? watch it on DVD. when you have nothing better to do...
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we're going to go see a movie at the Rooftop Cinema tonight. Karima and her sister are coming. should be interesting... i'll blog more about it.

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i want to travel again. been ages since i've been to a country i've never been before. we're planning to go overseas this year and i really should start planning it soon. i don't know how i'll manage with getting more leave from work though. sometimes, work gets in the way of life, don't you think?

Woohoo!

Visa got approved! Yey.
Happy happy joy joy.

Markets

Last weekend we went market-ing, for lack of a better word. It was generally a lazy weekend but we did manage to discover new places to go.

Saturday: We tried the Elwood Market first but it wasn't on until February. Oh well. After that, we went to the South Melbourne Market, which is sort of a mini-me version of the Queen Victoria Market in the city. It was alright but I didn't get to buy anything. D bought about 5 records. We'll probably go back there to go fruit and veggie shopping.

We also went to the ACCA to see Mike Nelson's Lonely Planet.

Modern art. Very weird. Bunch of rooms that had that abandoned look to them. Felt like you were going through an old abandoned apartment building or an old house. A bit creepy too. Had that "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" feel to it.

Mike Nelson, Lonely Planet, 2006; Installation view, ACCA

Needless to say, we weren't big fans. But then again, we're neither "cultured" nor art freaks.

Sunday: Went to the Camberwell Market late morning. We had a lazy late start and got to the market past 11 o' clock. It was scheduled from 6.00am to 12.30pm. Met Rob there, had a wander through then promptly got rained on. We'd only been there for about half an hour when it started raining. Bummer. Got myself some card stock for cheap (a project I'm working on) while D bought heaps more records. And I mean heaps more. I think it's vinyl addiction.

We headed for the Prahran Market but it wasn't there. No idea why. So we decided to go the St Kilda Arts & Crafts Market instead.

Grabbed lunch from a cafe in Acland St. The food took ages to come and D's and Rob's orders weren't up to par. I ordered a Prawn and Avocado Salad which was yum, though. I've blogged a review about this place previously (Kat Bahloo) and raved about it. We didn't have as good an experience this time.

After lunch, we went to the Market, which turned out to be a dud. Very arts & craftsy. Hehe.

Decided to go home and chill. D & Rob listened to records while I worked on my project. Went to D's mum's house afterwards to visit.

Not a bad way to spend the weekend.

New Year's Eve photos

Pictures at the Birrarung Marr Gardens, waiting for fireworks.



Top: Sally, D and me. Bottom: Me, Karima, Tyler (K's BF) and Andrew

Thanks to Lianne for the pics! Ironically, she's not in any of the pictures...

Random Things

First things first: Just wanted to declare that I have now officially eaten kangaroo meat. I don't think I'll be doing that again anytime soon. Hehe. It wasn't too bad actually, but it tasted weird.
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Also, D and I walked down the beach yesterday. First time ever. Which is sad considering that the beach is just down the block. Hopefully, we do more of that. Weather was perfect, which helped with the motivation thing.
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Found this test from one of the blogs linked to my sister's blog.

(i got bored with the test results , so I have now deleted the rest of it)

Mind Test

So, I took an online test (thanks to a link in Karima's blog) and this is what it said:

Your Brain Usage Profile:
Auditory : 52%
Visual : 47%
Left : 40%
Right : 60%

Valerie, you are moderately right-hemisphere dominant and have even preferences between auditory and visual processing, traits that might make people perceive you as "slightly off balance."
You are most likely to be slightly disorganized, a "dreamer" and a person who focuses more on the end result than the immediate task at hand. You are creative and spontaneous if somewhat lacking in direction and focus. You are a learner who is generally patient and a person for whom time is an ally, not an enemy.
You are more passionate than most people with regard to life and learning and recognize your own intuitive abilities. You have sufficient goal-direction to satisfy yourself and guarantee success without being or feeling driven. You are willing to be reflective about yourself and others without getting lost in rumination.
The balance of your sensory modes allows for both learning and expressive capabilities achieved by few. You are active and "seeing" while retaining an equally strong propensity for being reflective which slows you down a little but allows for a more comprehensive perception and analysis of situations and problems. You do not spend excessive time analyzing since you mostly trust your perceptions.
In all likelihood, you have a tendency to overcommit and cannot under- stand why others get upset since you operate on a different "time table" than they do. Your organizational abilities are frequently overwhelmed by the stimulation seeking and active nature of your mind as well as by the tendency to create new categories and gloss over details, making categorization and classification almost impossible at times.
To the extent that your career path allows for creativity and abstraction as well as a bit of disorganization, you should find yourself equipped to handle any learning that is required. Your own personal adjustment to your style should come naturally although you are likely to feel frus- trated by your own limited discipline and often wonder "Why?"

Well, that SO doesn't sound like me. Oh well. Silly tests.

I only took it since I'm so bored at work at the moment. Most work people are still on holiday and I don't really have much to do as I tidied up loose ends last month. Unless I get a new project soon, I think I'm going to drop dead of boredom here in my tiny corner office.

Can't believe it's 2007...

New Year's Eve was spent in the city, viewing the fireworks. It was good, way better than staying at home and seeing it on TV. Got there early enough (too early, maybe) and saw the kiddie fireworks at 9pm then waited 3 more hours for the midnight one. Got a bit bored, a bit chilled but all in all, it wasn't a bad way to spend New Year's.

We were able to score a very good spot on Birrarung Marr (just off Fed Square which had hordes of people) which wasn't too crowded and had the best views (we were able to see 3 - 4 different sets of fireworks).

We were all asking each other about new year's resolutions and nobody really had anything much to say about the topic. I guess we're at the age when we know that resolutions rarely (never?) work and having them during new year's is very very silly.

That said, I've had a thought and I've decided to be more proactive and explore more of Melbourne, the city I call home for now.

Here is a list of things I'm hoping to do, soonish:

1. Take Spanish classes with D (already enrolled. classes start Jan 18, Thursday evenings.)
2. Watch the Australian Open (bought tickets for Jan 21, Sunday)
3. Watch a film at the Moonlight Cinema (sometime in Feb, waiting for the screening of a movie we actually want to see) or the Rooftop Cinema (maybe next Friday to see Bright Young Things)
4. Learn Yoga (I really need motivation for this)
5. Visit more museums or cultural centers (next stop is the Australian Center for Contemporary Art where Mike Nelson is exhibiting Lonely Planet at the moment)
6. Explore Victoria through books (I'm actually doing this already through the reading program, Reading Victoria. Already gone through one, Stiff, and now reading through Picnic at Hanging Rock.)
7. Catch more concerts (D wants to see Tenacious D this month. I doubt we'll be organized enough to catch that one... Damien Rice is playing in Feb, Gomez in April) or go to music festivals (St Kilda Festival is on!)
8. Have picnics (if we end up going to the Moonlight Cinema, then that's 2 birds with one stone. If not, I want to go to Hanging Rock).

That's my list for now. So many things to do...