21 April 2004

Cool quotes

This is poached (ie excerpts taken word for word) from last Saturdays' SMH magazine, authored by Hugh Mackay:

Tolerance – How would you like to be “tolerated”? Wouldn’t you rather be understood and appreciated? We don’t need more tolerance; we need more curiosity about each other.

Happiness – Don’t chase it. Let it surprise you with its occasional, blissful visitations. Sadness, frustration and bewilderment are as authentic as happiness: if we’re to be fully human, we need to experience the lot.

20 April 2004

Quick post on events from first few days @ new job

Managed to go to wrong refectory/footbridge when attempting to meet Knightwriter for lunch : (
No phone or email contact details until next week!! a bit of a problem when you need people to ring you back...
I have already met someone whose mother lives not only in the same suburb as my folks, but in the adjacent street!!
I am now one of the minority of sharply dressed people for the first time in my life!! But then it's easy when surrounded by jeans and t-shirt clad youths
Concepts of what I will have to do are sinking in - some things will be tough, others a welcome challenge, others are easy to grasp...
Introductions, introductions...
most unsettling thing - is the way some people look at each other knowingly when my position is explained to them and say "oh, yes... you'll be able to help with <insert in house joke/ongoing problem project>!! ha ha ha!!".
most silly thing I did - now getting accustomed to regular self-introductions with other staff, I started off boldly in the photocopy room this morning with "Hi, I don't think we met yesterday...". Response: "No we didn't - I'm Michael from Tosheeba and I'm here to fix the photocopier...". Me: "Oh - that would explain that then. I'm new. Obviously."
What a dag!

06 April 2004

Attack on office by men in blue suits claims 3...

Shish, what a day.

Rest of staff in staff meeting.
Just me at my desk, trying to finish off things.
I hear voices. I see man gather his things and leave with stranger in blue suit... Looks suspiciously like an HR consultant "escorting" someone out.
Turns out it was, and it also happened to 2 others. Yuk.

Sure we all have our opinions about peoples' competency on the job, but I don't wish this on anyone. The bit of me that likes to like everyone, and found bits of them to like because I had to work with them, is feeling a bit upset with no outlet. Don't feel enough to cry, and the situation totally doesn't affect me as I'm out of here soon, and nor are we likely to cross paths again.

I suppose I'll just say "Goodbye fellas" here. I hope they find something new to do REALLY SOON.



02 April 2004

And I thought I was over the cliffs edge before....

Thought that resigning and accepting a new position was the equivalent to jumping off the cliffs edge. Well I was wrong.
Seems I am still to go over and that should happen at knock-off time, next Wednesday. Then the true implications of what I have done will truly sink in. Mixture of happiness and sadness, hope and scaredness, relief and nervousness for the unknown. It's all building - I can feel it in my stomach.
But then change is good and is one of the things that helps us to grow etc, I know.