Wednesday 26 December 2007

Advanced uses of technology.

Here's a cutesy story.. A woman at work told me that her six year old son was sitting at their computer on Google Earth. He'd been on there for a while so she asked him what he was doing. "I'm looking for Santa's house in the North Pole" he replied. Apparently he spent hours on Google Earth trying to located Santa's house.

Monday 24 December 2007

Eug's last night in Melbourne.

Thought I'd post a couple of pictures from Eug's last night in Melbourne. It was great to see Eug again and I hope to see more people in Melbourne soon! :)

Monday 17 December 2007

Presenting.

A couple of weeks ago I presented at a conference with colleagues of mine. The presentation was about some innovative work we've been doing. I'd never professionally presented something to people before! But the presentation went better than I could have hoped for. People were very receptive to what we had to say and we were applauded at the end. :) We even had people come up afterwards to tell us we should charge people to teach them about what we are doing and one woman asked us if we'd come teach her university students next year (for which we'd be paid). :)

Wednesday 5 December 2007

Rooftop bar.

Last Sunday I went to Heath's birthday gathering at the rooftop bar in the city. It was like going to a private beach, in the middle of the city, that was high in the sky! Fake grass covered the ground and beach deck chairs were there to sit on. With drinks in hand and lounging outdoors - it was a great way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon. And I never knew it existed till now!

Thursday 22 November 2007

Muse concert.

What can I say?!? The Muse concert was awesome! I have a new level of appreciation for their music now. Hearing their music on CDs just won't be the same anymore. They are all talented musicians - especially Matt who can sing, play piano and guitar all while running around the stage! It was also a very theatrical concert with a massive light and smoke show, huge balloons filled with confetti and two big screens.

Sunday 18 November 2007

Tanya's Survival Guide.

How to Survive a Baby Shower.

1)
Bring bottles of wine.

2) Make sure you have at least one other friend there who also drinks wine.

3) Make sure you start drinking early (this makes the baby games funnerer).

4) If you are playing a game where you have to wear pegs around your neck and not say the 'b' word (baby) because if you do say it you will lose a peg, it's most fun to go to the clothes line and pull off pegs to add to your collection. That way you will have A LOT more pegs than everyone else and you will win the game. P.S. No one seemed to notice that I had a ridiculous number of pegs hanging around my neck - more than the number of people actually at the shower (and they weren't even drinking!!!).

5) You might like to start your own game called 'drama' where you acuse a friend of not giving you their peg when they said 'baby' (even though they didn't) and when someone points out you just said the 'b' word tell them they cannot have your peg because the game is rigged! (In fact it is rigged by you.. cos you went to the clothes line earlier and added a few hundred pegs to your own collection but they don't know that).

6) Keep drinking wine.

That's how I survived my friend's baby shower.

P.S. Luckily my friend doens't use the internet.. otherwise I would have to give back the egg cup I won in that 'pegs around your neck' game!

Wednesday 14 November 2007

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time.

I never normally blog about a book I've read.. but I loved "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time" by Mark Haddon so much I thought I'd review it here.

It's a very easy read with short chapters and it's written in simple language because it's from the point of view of a child. The child has aspergers and a brilliant mind. There's a central story line where the child is investigating the murder of a dog in his street. But intertwined with the story are chapters about math, the universe, science, etc, which I found fascinating to read.

I thoroughly recommend this book. 5 gold stars!

Tuesday 13 November 2007

Sydney Trip.

Greg and I went to Sydney over the Cup long weekend. We arrived on Friday night and after dropping our bags off we were taken to the Opera Bar, which is next to the Opera House and has beautiful views of the harbour. It was the perfect way to start our weekend in Sydney. My only complaint is that it rained and I got rather soaked. In fact it rained almost the entire time we were in Sydney, except for Sunday when we had the most beautiful, sunny weather!
We spent our time in Sydney seeing all the usual sights.. Opera house, Harbour Bridge, CBD, etc.. and went to Manly for the day. We took advantage of the sunshine on Sunday and ended up back at the Opera Bar, enjoying our drinks while lazing in the sun. I had a great time and am now thinking Sydney makes a great weekend getaway!

Thursday 1 November 2007

No Internet Credit Make Me Go Crazy!

I am really frustrated at work at the moment because I have run out of Internet credit. We are now capped on our usage and when we run out we have to go and ask for more. The point of the Internet cap is to slow people down in their Internet usage. However, while I've been carefully monitoring my usage, other people at work have continued with their huge download rate. When they run out they simply go and ask for more and are given more. The only thing the process does is cause annoyance while you can't access the Internet.

Since I monitor my usage I asked for more credit before I ran out. No one did anything about it and a few days later I ran out. I've asked MANY times now for more credit and all I keep hearing is "oh yeah I forgot to reset it".

It is so frustrating to be at work without my sanity (AKA Internet!). Not to mention the fact that I also NEED the Internet for some of my work!

Sunday 21 October 2007

Cam's 30th Birthday.

On Friday night was Cam's 30th birthday. He organised a cruise along the Yarra with drinks and nibblies included! The sights were great, the food was great, the company was great, there was dancing and plenty of alcohol.. what more is there to say. :)

Sunday 14 October 2007

Phantom of the Opera.

Today I went to see the latest production of The Phantom of the Opera. I thought it was a fantastc show, though at times it was hard to hear words during songs. Definitely recommended. :)

Saturday 6 October 2007

Pick Ups.

Last night I went to see a play at the Fringe Festival called Pick Ups. The show contained several skits all based around people trying to pick each other up. It was face paced and funny and definitely recommended.

Thursday 4 October 2007

This is England.

I just saw the movie This is England and really liked it. I haven't seen a good movie for a long time! The film was thought provoking. moving and heavy at times. I definitely recommend it if you're after a powerful but highly entertaining film.

Tuesday 2 October 2007

Are you good at problem solving?

Thought I'd share.. very funny I think!

Monday 1 October 2007

A trip of indulgence.

For my birthday Greg organised a trip away to Hepburn Springs - including three nights of accomodation in a cabin AND an afternoon of pampering, which included access to a mineral spa and sauna, a one hour aromotherapy massage and a one hour facial. After that I was floating..

We also went for a walk to the springs, had lunch at the Boat House cafe on the Daylesford Lake and made it to the Dayelsford chocolate cafe!

Definitely a birthday experience I will remember! :)

Here's some photos from our trip:
Boat House cafeChocolates from the chocolate cafe
Spring waterOur cabin

Monday 17 September 2007

Birthday.

It was my birthday on Saturday and in the evening I went to a Thai restaurant with friends for plenty of good food and wine. We finished the night with more drinking at a local bar.

Here's some pics from the bar:

Thursday 13 September 2007

A new public holiday?

Today I read in the paper that in the Russian region of Ulyanovsk, September 12th has been declared a Day of Conception and couples are given time off work to procreate. There's an idea for a new public holiday in OZ!

Sunday 9 September 2007

Tanti's Birthday.

We celebrated Tanti's birthday on Saturday 8th September at a Korean BBQ restaurant. Here's some pictures of the occasion:

Experimenta Playground.

On Friday night I met up with my friend Darren who is visiting from the UK and while wondering around Melbourne we came across a set of giant tea cups with plastic pink babies sitting in them. We noticed that there were people in the tea cups driving them. Well.. we just had to stop and find out what the heck was going on. We found out that it's an exhibition called Experimenta Playground which is art meets technology meets media and best of all.. it's free!! The exhibition included interactive exhibits as well as film and artwork. You can watch as your shadow takes on monstrous features or compose your own symphony with falling shapes of colour or watch a chain reaction involving rockets, fire and explosions... etc etc. Well worth a visit!

Wednesday 29 August 2007

Art and statistics.

Running the Numbers: An American Self-Portrait depicts American culture today through the use of visual imagery and statistics.

Thursday 16 August 2007

What's the world coming to?

Today's Oddspot:

A British company is offering to provide stab-proof school uniforms, lined with the same material used by soldiers. BladeRunner has added the Kevlar-lined uniforms to a range of clothing that includes knife-resistant hooded tops, T-shirts and gloves.

Why work?

Does anyone else have people at their work who rarely show up? There are a few people at my work who take sooo many sick days (at least one per week) .

Today I couldn't believe my ears though when one woman who is hardly ever at work, because she's always on sick leave, was bragging loudly about the fact that she now qualifies for long service leave and is going to take it soon! She kept saying at the top of her voice "I'm filling out my long service form" and "I'm going on long service leave". Though I don't think anyone will notice any difference between her being on long service leave or not?! ;)

Tuesday 7 August 2007

Three movies in one day.

On Sunday I saw three movies at the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF). It's the first time I've ever seen three movies in one day! And by the end of the day my brain felt like it was melting out of my ears and my eyes were popping out of my head. It's the same feeling I get from sitting all day in front of a computer (which is why I am no longer in a job where I need to sit in front of a computer all day). So I don't think I'll ever see more than two movies in one day again. Two is definitely my limit. Having said that I did enjoy all three movies though!

Firstly I saw "In the Company of Actors" which is an Australian documentary about the creation of theatre - from early rehearsals through to opening night in New York. It was interesting to see what goes on behind the scenes. The only problem with the film was that it left me wanting to actually go see the play!

Secondly I saw "Hana" which is a Japanese movie about a young man who is expected to avenge his father's death. I enjoyed this movie but it was very confusing. There were a few stories within the one movie and I found it hard to remember who was who and what they were doing!

Lastly I saw "The Armstrongs" which is a UK documentary about a couple who run a company but treat their staff appallingly. It was very funny! I can't believe that it's real?!

Thursday 2 August 2007

Returned.

Today my stolen mobile was returned. It's all scratched but it still works.

Anyway, the police said that they might have caught the guy who robbed us (while he was robbing someone else). Though they can't charge him with the robberies of our place cos they don't have enough evidence. I'm just hoping he goes to jail!

Wednesday 1 August 2007

My cousin's wedding.

Last Sunday (29th July) I attended my cousin Andrew’s wedding. The ceremony and reception were intimate and incorporated some of Jenny’s Chinese traditions. It's the first wedding I've attended since Greg and I got married and it was great to experience a wedding with the knowledge of everything that goes on behind the scenes.

The happy coupleAnother happy couple

Friday 27 July 2007

Death cat?

I found a cat that I wouldn't want on my lap! The Age today had an article about a cat who lives in a nursing home and can sense within hours when someone is about to die. "When Oscar settles on a patient's bed, caregivers take it as a sign that family members should be summoned immediately to bid their loved one farewell."

TGYH.

Last night I went to see Thank God You're Here being filmed. The night started with free drinks and nibblies. Then we were ushered into the studio where we gained front row seats. Unfortunately we sat right on one end and had to strain our necks to see anything over the other side (and sometimes I couldn't see anything going on at all). But when they used the stage right in front of us, we had a fantastic view! So it all evened out in the end. We were there for three hours! But they kept us pretty much entertained (and fed with lollies). And at the end of the night we received show bags. It was definitely a fun experience, but if I was going again I'd want to sit in somewhere in the middle or up the back to have a better view!

Wednesday 25 July 2007

Greg and Tanti's Engagement party.

Last Saturday was Greg and Tanti's engagement party! :) Here's some picures of the event:

Mmmmmmm..Opening Presents.
Aww... BIG HEART!

Tuesday 24 July 2007

Always look on the dark side of life?

This year I am working with a different group of people and they all complain all the time about everything! They are so negative about everything! At times I find it really depressing and I've always wondered if I was just being sensitive to it. Until one of my friends had to work with these people and later on said "I can't work with them anymore. They are so depressing. All they do is complain about everything."

I've tried helping my workmates with positive advice. I've tried being positive. I've tried helping them with their problems. I even said one day "why don't you look for a new job if it's that bad here?" To which they replied "oh i'm too old to look for a new job. If I was your age I'd change jobs but I'm too old now".

I realise now that they just want to feel miserable and complain all the time. Maybe it's time to bring headphones to work. :)

Wednesday 11 July 2007

How many coins does it take...

When I got on the tram this morning I needed to purchase a met card so I lined up and waited.. and waited.. and waited.. and waited. And eventually the woman in front of me turned around and said "oh I'm sorry I was cleaning out my 5 cent jar today!". She was purchasing a $6.30 met card all with 5 cent pieces! That's 126 coins! Surely she would have been better off using them every so often rather than all at once!

Monday 9 July 2007

Why bother?

While away in The Dandenongs we went out for dinner to an English style restaurant called the Snooty Fox. And on the drinks menu they had a drink called "Why bother" which was described as "Decaf coffee with low fat milk".

Here's a dodgy photo of the menu (as proof) taken with my phone camera:

P.S. That's my drink of choice.. what does that say about me?

Reading and relaxing in The Dandenongs.

Greg and I just got back from six relaxing, restful days in The Dandenongs staying at our favourite cottage - The Timbertop Lodge (complete with open fire place and spa bath). Plus a huge breakfast every day included! We spent time exploring the local area, but we also spent a couple of days indoors reading! I love reading but I spend so much time reading in my job that whenever I do ever find some spare time I don't feel like reading cos it feels too much like work. So I really enjoyed the opportunity to finish some books. :)

Sunday 1 July 2007

Guggenheim.

Today Greg and I went to see the Guggenheim Collection at the National Gallery of Victoria. While in Europe we saw a lot of art work, so it was nice to see art again. It's not something we normally do when in Oz!

Though I think I've come to the conclusion that I prefer older art to modern art. Painting a canvas blue just doesn't seem like art to me! I love paintings that tell a story or are realistic.

However, having said that I did enjoy the Guggenheim Collection and think it's worth a look.

Friday 29 June 2007

Holidays! :)

I am now on holidays for two weeks! :) With plans to relax, read, catch up with friends, stay up late, sleep in, shop and a small trip away with Greg.

Thursday 28 June 2007

Qualified.

Last night I finished my course! :) So now I am officially qualified to teach at training institutions! :)

Tuesday 26 June 2007

Sixteen movies for the price of one!

I finally saw the movie Paris, je t'aime on the weekend and loved it. It consists of 16 short movies by 16 different directors and each film is set in one of the 16 arrondissements of Paris. There was one movie that I didn't like.. but I loved the other 15! My favourite was about the American tourist in Paris! :) But I won't spoil it for you.

Thursday 14 June 2007

Yes it gets cold in Melbourne too!

For those of you in Europe.. yes it does get cold in Melbourne too!! Last night it was 1 degree (0 degrees in some places). Currently at 9.15am it is 5 degrees. But according to the Bureau of Meteorology it currently feels like 3 degrees. It's the kind of weather Greg and I experienced in Europe over Decemeber and January when we were there. Though today is forecast for a top of 15 degrees. However, it will probably take forever to reach it and then quickly drop back down again! And on top of all that.. there is no heating at my workplace!! So I freeze all day long. Then after freezing all day at work, I go home to my freezing unheatable home. At least Europe has it right with heaters in every residence and workplace! I think it's time to bring out those gloves, hats and scarves.. and possibly the thermals. :)

Monday 4 June 2007

Where'd me good luck go?

This morning my poor car was hit from behind! I was standing still and the guy drove into me because he thought I was moving off. Luckily there's not too much damage!

Sunday 3 June 2007

Studying Again.

I've gone back to study one night a week at TAFE to get a Cert IV in Training and Assessment. This will allow me to teach at TAFEs and other training institutions, as well as teach TAFE subjects in schools. I decided to do it to give me more options. It's hard going to TAFE at night after a full day at work though!! And it's hard having homework to do. However, happily it's only 8 weeks long!

And yes.. I'm writing in my blog in order to procrastinate..

Sunday 20 May 2007

8 year anniversary.

Greg and I celebrated our 8 year anniversary with dinner and a show. We saw Cirque de Soleil's Varekai. I love their shows and this one was just as good as every other show I've seen! Definitely recommended. :)

Tuesday 15 May 2007

Something funny..

You've probably already seen this.. but I really enjoyed it and wanted a copy for myself. :)

Saturday 21 April 2007

In need of some comedy.

Last night I went and saw Tim Minchin at the Comedy Festival. I first saw him in 2005 and he was the best act by far! I saw him again in 2006. And this year he played the best bits of his 2005 and 2006 shows. It was great to see his skits again. I thoroughly recommend him. He is so funny but he is also a fantastic musician! I just hope he has some new material next year.

Venting..

Our house locks are changed.. my car locks are changed. I'm getting new cards and we're waiting for our insurance to finish processing our claim, so that I can get replacement items! It is so annoying though. I keep thinking I've got every card sorted.. but I'll suddenly remember another card that I need to replace. I also need to redo some of my work, which is really, really annoying. And I'm without a laptop at the moment. I keep having to get Greg to give me money, cos i have no access to our funds. And I've lost phone numbers that were stored in my phone.

Definitely not a fun experience..

Wednesday 18 April 2007

Robbed again!

Yes.. the title says it all.. we were robbed again. But this time it's worse. :( This time they came in during the middle of the night, while we were sleeping. Which totally creeps me out! We didn't hear a thing!

They took my work laptop (with all my work on it *sob*), my handbag (with wallet, phone, keys, etc) and a backpack full of work books. The thing I am most upset about is the laptop because I won't be able to get my work back.

We have to get our locks changed again because they have my house keys. And we also have to get my car locks changed because they have my car key.

But the worst thing for me is that they did it while we were sleeping.

It might be time to move.... Or to get a pet lion..

Thursday 12 April 2007

Two shows for the price of one.

The Melbourne International Comedy Festival is on and last night I went to see Dylan Moran. I love his series Black Books, so when I found out he was going to perform at the festival I booked tickets. I recommend catching one of his shows if he's in your area.

Afterwards we were offered free tickets to see Dave Bushell by the man himself. He said that there was a bar at the venue so we could enjoy a drink while watching his show. He also said that the bar was awesome. So we thought it would be fun to see a free comedy show with drink in hand. When we got to the venue the door man also mentioned how great the bar is. So by this stage I was expecting an awesome venue with an awesome bar. When we got to the bar we found it to be a table with one bottle each of red, white and bubbles and beer. hmm.. A table isn't a bar! As for the venue it was a art gallery. So by this stage we're thinking.. what did we get ourselves into? But we were there.. and the gig was free. So we got a couple of drinks and we were led downstairs into the basement. But the show actually turned out to be ok. It was slow to start but once he got going he was pretty funny.

Wednesday 11 April 2007

Wii!

Greg bought a Wii with his birthday money and it's heaps of fun! Though after playing tennis for hours, I had a sore arm for a couple of days!

Easter holidays.

Over Easter Greg and I went to Port Fairy, staying at a fantastic cottage called the Stitch 'n' Quilt Barn Bed and Breakfast. After a hectic trip around Europe we decided that we needed a relaxing holiday. Which is exactly what we got. :) We did lots of reading and eating. We walked around Griffith Island and Tower Hill. And the weather was fantastic so we went to the beach twice, where we read and swam.

I just wish that we could have stayed a little longer..

Monday 2 April 2007

Start of holidays.

My holidays started with a weekend away in Dromana, staying with friends at a friend's holiday house. We began with drinks and a picnic outside by candle light - and turned off all power indoors as part of Earth Hour. We also did some walks, went to a winery and relaxed outdoors.

Friday 30 March 2007

Holidays!!!!

Hooray!! Holidays for two weeks. Starting right now with free drinks at the pub!

I'm outta here..

Sunday 18 March 2007

First Wedding Anniversary!

Today is our first wedding anniversary! I still can't believe that it's been a year since Greg and I were married.

To celebrate we went away for the weekend to Gembrook - staying at Gembrook cottages - very romantic. :) And enjoyed a wonderful evening on Saturday at a restaurant called "Forest Edge" in the beautiful countryside with stunning views.

Tuesday 13 March 2007

In memory of my camera..

I just created this blog today.. and already I have something to post about..

Today I arrived home from work and found our front door wide open!! At first I thought Greg must have left it open and I was worried our indoor cat might have escaped. But when I got closer I could see that the door had been kicked in!! I rushed inside to see what had been taken and at first I couldn't see anything missing. On closer inspection I found Greg's laptop missing. And later on we realised our digital camera was also taken. :( Which I am really annoyed about!!

Luckily nothing else was taken!! And our cat is safe and well!!

Welcome..

I've decided to join the world of blogging.

This blog will be used to keep people updated, especially overseas friends, on what i'm up to. And also a forum for me to share thoughts.

Feel free to read or not read. Comment or not comment.