Even after 10 years in Australia, there are still many words I am not familiar with.
For one, the word I've learnt today is "page".
No. Not this page you're viewing now, but 'page', as in 'pager'.
You know 'pager', right? - that little device that is used to call a person over when you can't find him/her? There used to be many of them available in cute colours and designs (or was it just in Japan?). We called it "Poke-bell" for "Pocket-bell", it was huge before mobile phone took over.
Anyway, going back to the original subject, I wasn't familiar with its verbal form, simply because I'd never heard the term used around me before. Just like that word 'till', meaning 'cash register', I didn't know until I heard it.
A few months ago, I started working at a recycle store after working at an op-shop for over a year. The two jobs are similar in most aspects, however, the op-shop where I was working before was tiny, so we never had to use PA system, and they use different terms to what I'm used to. Inevitably, I have to face many embarrassing situations for not knowing what they are talking about.
Seriously, after ten bloody years I really should be a true bi-lingual!
But sadly I'm not.
What's ironic is that we non-Australians understand most of what Australians say (especially after spending many years in this country and have a job in a local company/shop), but non-Australians often misunderstand each other, because we all have words we are not familiar with, and also, there are times we don't know how to re-phrase it.
We call it "Lost in Translation."
My boss is not Australian, but she knew the word I didn't know.
"Page someone" means, call someone over using either 'pager' or 'PA system', not just calling out a person, like one of my English-Japanese dictionary describes.
So when my boss asked me to page my workmate, I called out her name instead of calling her over using PA. Oh dear.
"Well, at least I know now."
This phrase, I believe, is going to be used VERY often.
Welcome to my private space. This is a gateway to my daily life, thoughts and my heart - either for you or for myself.
Showing posts with label My Life in Australia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label My Life in Australia. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
2011 has begun.
What have I done since Christmas?
I caught up with my old friend. Worked until the New Year's Eve.
Oh, the NYE. I was by myself since Ian was working in the city.
Drinking more than half a bottle of sparkling wine by myself and watched the breathtaking fireworks shooting up into the sky from my backyard.
At least, Ian and I were watching the same fireworks in the different places.
For some reason, there was no festivity in the air once the new year came. All I did was hanging around in the bedroom and lounge most of the time or going for a walk in between.
There's "Cloud Street" by Tim Winton still open on the coffee table. This time it seems to take forever to finish reading.
There were a few plans destructed by some unexpected fuck-ups.
Already some good and bad things happened. More bad than good, so far.
Which means (I hope), there will be more good than bad for the rest of this year.
My holiday is over.
And I find myself looking forward to going back to work.
I caught up with my old friend. Worked until the New Year's Eve.
Oh, the NYE. I was by myself since Ian was working in the city.
Drinking more than half a bottle of sparkling wine by myself and watched the breathtaking fireworks shooting up into the sky from my backyard.
At least, Ian and I were watching the same fireworks in the different places.
For some reason, there was no festivity in the air once the new year came. All I did was hanging around in the bedroom and lounge most of the time or going for a walk in between.
There's "Cloud Street" by Tim Winton still open on the coffee table. This time it seems to take forever to finish reading.
There were a few plans destructed by some unexpected fuck-ups.
Already some good and bad things happened. More bad than good, so far.
Which means (I hope), there will be more good than bad for the rest of this year.
My holiday is over.
And I find myself looking forward to going back to work.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
What should I do? - どうしよう。
Yesterday I was held by boss before going home and asked if I could be the supervisor once a week. I said I'd think about it. It's not like I'm gonna get paid, it only means that I'll have more responsibility on my shoulder.
Since I was expecting to hear something else (Boss approached me in the ominous fashion. He went on like, 'can I have a word with you?') I was stupefied and forgot to be shocked.
昨日帰る前、ボスに止められて、週一スーパーバイザーやってみないかと聞かれたの。
お給料もらえるわけじゃなくて、責任が増えるっていうだけ。
別の事を言われると思ってたから（ボスが「ちょっと話がある。」なんて怖い顔してやってきたから）なんかぼーっとしちゃって、びっくりするのを忘れてしまった。
While I have this paranoia in my mind that some people may sneer at me because I'm an non-native, an Asian and have merely one year experience, I also know that I'd like to give it a shot. You see, this experience will make my resume look good when the time comes for me to apply for a paid job.
ノンネイティブでアジア人の、しかも一年しか経験のないワタシをバカにする人もいるかも、っていう不安がありながらも、やってみたいって気も正直あるのね。将来就職活動する時、履歴書に書いたらもっとアピール感があるでしょ？
I tell myself, 'Come on, it's just another volunteer position'. The problem is that the politics is still there.
Is the time right? Shouldn't I wait a bit longer? Or was the chance meant to come at this time?
「おーい、単なるボランティアの仕事じゃん。」って自分に言ってみるんだけど。スタッフ間の駆け引きみたいなのってやっぱりあるんだよね。
タイミングはどうなのかな。もう少し待ってみるべきなんじゃないか？
それともこの機会はちょうど今来るべく来たんだろうか？
Discrimination exists - no matter where you go. I had been thinking that I was toughened up from the past experiences, but now I'm not so sure now.
差別はどこに行ってもある。
以前の経験を通して自分は強くなったなんて思ってたけど、今はあんまり自信がないなぁ。
I'm so grateful for my boss/ other supervisors' faith in me, on the other hand, I'm scared to hell about the potential animosity from other people.
Maybe I'm worrying too much. Hey you'll never know. It may not all okay...they are good people and I may be able to handle it by not being too cocky or bossy.
ボスや他のスーパーバイザーがそんなにワタシを高く買ってくれてるなんて嬉しい反面、敵対心買うんじゃないかってめちゃめちゃ怖いんだよね。
心配しすぎなのかも。わかんないよ、もしかしたら大丈夫かもしんないじゃん。いい人達ばっかだし、自信過剰になったり、偉そうにしなきゃなんとかなるかも。
God, I'll have to answer tomorrow...
はぁ。明日返答しなきゃなんないなんて。
Since I was expecting to hear something else (Boss approached me in the ominous fashion. He went on like, 'can I have a word with you?') I was stupefied and forgot to be shocked.
昨日帰る前、ボスに止められて、週一スーパーバイザーやってみないかと聞かれたの。
お給料もらえるわけじゃなくて、責任が増えるっていうだけ。
別の事を言われると思ってたから（ボスが「ちょっと話がある。」なんて怖い顔してやってきたから）なんかぼーっとしちゃって、びっくりするのを忘れてしまった。
While I have this paranoia in my mind that some people may sneer at me because I'm an non-native, an Asian and have merely one year experience, I also know that I'd like to give it a shot. You see, this experience will make my resume look good when the time comes for me to apply for a paid job.
ノンネイティブでアジア人の、しかも一年しか経験のないワタシをバカにする人もいるかも、っていう不安がありながらも、やってみたいって気も正直あるのね。将来就職活動する時、履歴書に書いたらもっとアピール感があるでしょ？
I tell myself, 'Come on, it's just another volunteer position'. The problem is that the politics is still there.
Is the time right? Shouldn't I wait a bit longer? Or was the chance meant to come at this time?
「おーい、単なるボランティアの仕事じゃん。」って自分に言ってみるんだけど。スタッフ間の駆け引きみたいなのってやっぱりあるんだよね。
タイミングはどうなのかな。もう少し待ってみるべきなんじゃないか？
それともこの機会はちょうど今来るべく来たんだろうか？
Discrimination exists - no matter where you go. I had been thinking that I was toughened up from the past experiences, but now I'm not so sure now.
差別はどこに行ってもある。
以前の経験を通して自分は強くなったなんて思ってたけど、今はあんまり自信がないなぁ。
I'm so grateful for my boss/ other supervisors' faith in me, on the other hand, I'm scared to hell about the potential animosity from other people.
Maybe I'm worrying too much. Hey you'll never know. It may not all okay...they are good people and I may be able to handle it by not being too cocky or bossy.
ボスや他のスーパーバイザーがそんなにワタシを高く買ってくれてるなんて嬉しい反面、敵対心買うんじゃないかってめちゃめちゃ怖いんだよね。
心配しすぎなのかも。わかんないよ、もしかしたら大丈夫かもしんないじゃん。いい人達ばっかだし、自信過剰になったり、偉そうにしなきゃなんとかなるかも。
God, I'll have to answer tomorrow...
はぁ。明日返答しなきゃなんないなんて。
Murphy's Law
I was in Tasmania for the last 3 days to visit my mother-in-law for her birthday and came back to Melbourne
３日間、義母の誕生日の為にタスマニアに行っていて、今朝メルボルンに帰ってきた。
Actually I tried to write a blog article the day before the departure, but somehow I couldn’t go to the fc2 site, and then after a few unsuccessful attempts, I realised that the Internet and the Phone were both disconnected.
実は出発の前日にブログ書こうとしたんだけど、何故かfc2のサイトに行けなくて、何回か試したけどダメで。
気がついたら、インターネットと電話が両方切れていたのね。
I got the issue fixed as soon as I came home.
This was the first time I couldn't use both home phone and the Internet.
I’d never thought that it could be such a hassle to do without these things.
帰ってきて早速修理してもらった。
電話もインターネットも両方使えないなんて初めての事だった。
それがこんなに面倒だなんて、考えた事もなかったな。
Since I got the PC and could easily search phone numbers on-line, I’d been chucking the phone directory books, but this time I wished I didn’t.
The phone directory assistance only gives me the number if I already know the name of the company or the individual.
コンピューターもあるし、インターネットで電話番号なんて簡単に調べられるから、ずっと何年も電話帳なんて捨ててた。でも今回は捨てなければ良かったな、って。
電話番号案内では、会社名か個人名がわかっていないと番号を教えてくれないし。
For the first time in 9 years I realised that most public phone booths in Melbourne don’t have those phone directories, and that no one in my neighbourhood keep them either.
９年間で初めて気がついたの。メルボルンの殆どの公衆電話には電話帳がない、それに、近所の誰も電話帳をキープして置かない。
I was lucky that the petrol station (service station aka servo) just around the corner had one (and pay-phone).
ワタシは幸運にもすぐそばにあるガソリンスタンドに公衆電話と電話帳が置いてあった。
See, my lesson this time is that it sometimes IS important to hold onto something that you would think you’re never gonna use again. You probably are right, 9 out of 10 times you won’t – but there is always that 1 chance that you may need it.
ね、今回学んだのは、いらないと思うものでもとって置く事は、時には重要ってこと。
１０中９の確立でそう、多分必要ない。でも必ず１の確立で必要な事があるんだって。
Let’s say that you already have your personal phone book on your PC and your mobile phone, would you still keep your conventional address/phone book?
Perhaps you wouldn’t, but you should. The minute you throw your old phone book, either or both your PC and mobile phone break and you’ll lose all your contacts. Oops.
It’s called Murphy’s Law.
Funny thing is if you do hold onto your old phone book, you may never open it anyway.
例えばさ、コンピュータとかケイタイに自分の電話帳を持っているとするじゃん。その上にアドレス帳持つと思う？
多分持たないだろうな。でも持っているべきなんだろうな。
古い電話帳（アドレス帳）を捨てた途端、コンピュータもケイタイも壊れちゃったら、番号全部なくしちゃうよね。あっちゃー。
これが、マーフィーの法則。
（ちなみにこれは、「悪くなる可能性のある事は遅かれ早かれ悪くなる。」という意味の格言だけど、日常使われる時は、「起こる可能性のある事は遅かれ早かれ起こる」というニュアンスが濃い気がする。しかも、その「遅かれ早かれ」に重点が置かれていて、すぐに起こるか１００年先なのか誰もわからない。ずっと起こらないからまあ自分の生きている間は起こんないだろうぜと高をくくって準備をやめた直後にそれが起こったりする。。。なんて感じかな？）
Now the tech guy fixed the problem and said that the phone line will be problem-free for the next 10-15 years if not longer – should I still keep those books for the once in 15-year chance?
さて、技術者が来て修理してくれたし、少なくとも10年から15年は電話線に問題は起こらないって言ってたからね－その15年に一度の確立の為に電話帳持っておくべきだと思う？
Maybe I should.
とって置くべきなのかも。
３日間、義母の誕生日の為にタスマニアに行っていて、今朝メルボルンに帰ってきた。
Actually I tried to write a blog article the day before the departure, but somehow I couldn’t go to the fc2 site, and then after a few unsuccessful attempts, I realised that the Internet and the Phone were both disconnected.
実は出発の前日にブログ書こうとしたんだけど、何故かfc2のサイトに行けなくて、何回か試したけどダメで。
気がついたら、インターネットと電話が両方切れていたのね。
I got the issue fixed as soon as I came home.
This was the first time I couldn't use both home phone and the Internet.
I’d never thought that it could be such a hassle to do without these things.
帰ってきて早速修理してもらった。
電話もインターネットも両方使えないなんて初めての事だった。
それがこんなに面倒だなんて、考えた事もなかったな。
Since I got the PC and could easily search phone numbers on-line, I’d been chucking the phone directory books, but this time I wished I didn’t.
The phone directory assistance only gives me the number if I already know the name of the company or the individual.
コンピューターもあるし、インターネットで電話番号なんて簡単に調べられるから、ずっと何年も電話帳なんて捨ててた。でも今回は捨てなければ良かったな、って。
電話番号案内では、会社名か個人名がわかっていないと番号を教えてくれないし。
For the first time in 9 years I realised that most public phone booths in Melbourne don’t have those phone directories, and that no one in my neighbourhood keep them either.
９年間で初めて気がついたの。メルボルンの殆どの公衆電話には電話帳がない、それに、近所の誰も電話帳をキープして置かない。
I was lucky that the petrol station (service station aka servo) just around the corner had one (and pay-phone).
ワタシは幸運にもすぐそばにあるガソリンスタンドに公衆電話と電話帳が置いてあった。
See, my lesson this time is that it sometimes IS important to hold onto something that you would think you’re never gonna use again. You probably are right, 9 out of 10 times you won’t – but there is always that 1 chance that you may need it.
ね、今回学んだのは、いらないと思うものでもとって置く事は、時には重要ってこと。
１０中９の確立でそう、多分必要ない。でも必ず１の確立で必要な事があるんだって。
Let’s say that you already have your personal phone book on your PC and your mobile phone, would you still keep your conventional address/phone book?
Perhaps you wouldn’t, but you should. The minute you throw your old phone book, either or both your PC and mobile phone break and you’ll lose all your contacts. Oops.
It’s called Murphy’s Law.
Funny thing is if you do hold onto your old phone book, you may never open it anyway.
例えばさ、コンピュータとかケイタイに自分の電話帳を持っているとするじゃん。その上にアドレス帳持つと思う？
多分持たないだろうな。でも持っているべきなんだろうな。
古い電話帳（アドレス帳）を捨てた途端、コンピュータもケイタイも壊れちゃったら、番号全部なくしちゃうよね。あっちゃー。
これが、マーフィーの法則。
（ちなみにこれは、「悪くなる可能性のある事は遅かれ早かれ悪くなる。」という意味の格言だけど、日常使われる時は、「起こる可能性のある事は遅かれ早かれ起こる」というニュアンスが濃い気がする。しかも、その「遅かれ早かれ」に重点が置かれていて、すぐに起こるか１００年先なのか誰もわからない。ずっと起こらないからまあ自分の生きている間は起こんないだろうぜと高をくくって準備をやめた直後にそれが起こったりする。。。なんて感じかな？）
Now the tech guy fixed the problem and said that the phone line will be problem-free for the next 10-15 years if not longer – should I still keep those books for the once in 15-year chance?
さて、技術者が来て修理してくれたし、少なくとも10年から15年は電話線に問題は起こらないって言ってたからね－その15年に一度の確立の為に電話帳持っておくべきだと思う？
Maybe I should.
とって置くべきなのかも。
It's a sunny but windy day and...
My motivation has been low for a few days. I don't blame myself because I am still recovering from the food poisoning or virus infection of some sort, which was why I skipped my blog entries.
I could have kept writing about same old story about my daily routine.
On the other hand I don’t have anything creative to write about these days either, so I would rather talk about something extremely boring.
If you are a woman, every now and again you’d feel like wearing some nice dress for special occasions, even if the special occasion comes only once in a blue moon.
A dress can be pricey, for sure. The price of a good quality dress inAustralia isn’t much different from that in Japan
Since I work at an op-shop I can find nice dresses at very, very affordable prices. However, dresses inAustralia
Someone told me the other day the Australian Department Giant called Myers used to measure up the customers’ size. Well, a custom-made dress must cost fortune but it is nice to have a place that cater to all sizes and individual taste, isn’t it?
Yesterday I saw a small-size KOOKAI dress at the shop. It was NICE, I mean, REALLY NICE. I didn’t mind it at all. Plus it was perfect for me as far as the size matters, but it was made for a leggy chick, not for a woman with short chunky legs.
There are indeed retailers that sell small size clothes, but all those clothes are made of cheap n’ nasty fabric that rips and wears out too easily. Who’d wanna buy that sort of shit?
They say; “Sorry, we don’t have big demands for that size.”
Well, let me defend my dearAustralia
Too bad for me. Never mind. I will survive without a fancy dress.
Not everything was good. I was sick in my stomach for the last 3 days or so, but there was one heart-warming event happened yesterday. A nice lady at work gave me a seedling of mint. It’s so nice of her.
I could have kept writing about same old story about my daily routine.
On the other hand I don’t have anything creative to write about these days either, so I would rather talk about something extremely boring.
If you are a woman, every now and again you’d feel like wearing some nice dress for special occasions, even if the special occasion comes only once in a blue moon.
A dress can be pricey, for sure. The price of a good quality dress in
Since I work at an op-shop I can find nice dresses at very, very affordable prices. However, dresses in
Someone told me the other day the Australian Department Giant called Myers used to measure up the customers’ size. Well, a custom-made dress must cost fortune but it is nice to have a place that cater to all sizes and individual taste, isn’t it?
Yesterday I saw a small-size KOOKAI dress at the shop. It was NICE, I mean, REALLY NICE. I didn’t mind it at all. Plus it was perfect for me as far as the size matters, but it was made for a leggy chick, not for a woman with short chunky legs.
There are indeed retailers that sell small size clothes, but all those clothes are made of cheap n’ nasty fabric that rips and wears out too easily. Who’d wanna buy that sort of shit?
They say; “Sorry, we don’t have big demands for that size.”
Well, let me defend my dear
Too bad for me. Never mind. I will survive without a fancy dress.
Not everything was good. I was sick in my stomach for the last 3 days or so, but there was one heart-warming event happened yesterday. A nice lady at work gave me a seedling of mint. It’s so nice of her.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Thinking about the weather and the environment...
The flood being warned last night in the Northeast Melbourne fortunately didn't hit Reservoir (because it's a northern suburb). Instead it hit Ballarat.
We've been having rain fairly consistently through the winter and now into spring.
Heavy rain, strong wind and cold-than-usual temperature were the main features of this winter. (Am I right?)
I slept in today and woke up with sore neck and back - and turned on the TV and saw the images of flood in Ballarat and the earthquake that hitChristchurch
The earthquake that hitChristchurch
Floods, earthquakes, windstorms, tsunamis...we've been hearing those words often recently. Suppose it's part of the extreme weather being talked about?
There are lot discussed about environmental issue, global-warming and such, but ordinary people like me don't know that much about them.
We do what we can to sustain our resources, reduce the rubbish, etc in our everyday life. Many households successfully managed to lower water and energy consumption.
Now, as for the water issue...
The development of desalination plants has been talked about for a long time - I remember I discussed about it when I was still in the ESL course.
Now it's already in progress. (The project started in July.)
With more rain to be expected, what's the point of constructing sea water desalination plant? Isn't our effort to save water enough?
Why didn't the state government use the budget to better the water-catchment system, which, may also help to minimize the flood damage?
It doesn't seem to me the most environmentally friendly solution to the water-shortage problem. It's against what the nature intended for us.
And they can't build the plant without using petrol-operated vehicles and machines, can they? Considering the amount of CO2 that is likely to add up to the current level, really, I don't know what they're trying to achieve.
Politicians' idea of sustainability is a little contradicted, what do you think?
Talking of earthquake, by the way, if it were to hitAustralia
And after the unwelcome wake-up call, will be the time for builders and construction workers to lift their game, yeah?
We've been having rain fairly consistently through the winter and now into spring.
Heavy rain, strong wind and cold-than-usual temperature were the main features of this winter. (Am I right?)
I slept in today and woke up with sore neck and back - and turned on the TV and saw the images of flood in Ballarat and the earthquake that hit
The earthquake that hit
Floods, earthquakes, windstorms, tsunamis...we've been hearing those words often recently. Suppose it's part of the extreme weather being talked about?
There are lot discussed about environmental issue, global-warming and such, but ordinary people like me don't know that much about them.
We do what we can to sustain our resources, reduce the rubbish, etc in our everyday life. Many households successfully managed to lower water and energy consumption.
Now, as for the water issue...
The development of desalination plants has been talked about for a long time - I remember I discussed about it when I was still in the ESL course.
Now it's already in progress. (The project started in July.)
With more rain to be expected, what's the point of constructing sea water desalination plant? Isn't our effort to save water enough?
Why didn't the state government use the budget to better the water-catchment system, which, may also help to minimize the flood damage?
It doesn't seem to me the most environmentally friendly solution to the water-shortage problem. It's against what the nature intended for us.
And they can't build the plant without using petrol-operated vehicles and machines, can they? Considering the amount of CO2 that is likely to add up to the current level, really, I don't know what they're trying to achieve.
Politicians' idea of sustainability is a little contradicted, what do you think?
Talking of earthquake, by the way, if it were to hit
And after the unwelcome wake-up call, will be the time for builders and construction workers to lift their game, yeah?
We have more rains! Bring it on!!!
It's been 9 months already since I started working as a volunteer shop assistant. By now I can do pretty much everything thanks to my workmates and my boss.
Amongst everything what I enjoy the most is dressing dummies. Often it's quite a challenge to coordinate clothes when the variety of styles and colours is limited, but fortunately we've been receiving many pretty clothes these days to choose from...although half the time I get this pang of temptation while selecting outfits and end up buying a couple of them for that very reason.
Today I bought a pair of country road jeans and a leather jacket by DormeuilEngland
This time I used a chair as the dummy...it doesn't have anything to match with, though.
(It even has DormeulEngland
Going back to original subject, the pleasure of dressing mannequins is that it really seems to make difference when it comes to inviting more customers in. I've become more attentive on how other retail shops display the shop windows, as well as the fashion trends.
Everytime I go there I wrap myself in clothes I got from our op-shop and brag to customers about it (well, you can't help it really, can you?)
When I first started at this shop, it was like 'OMG OMG OMG OMG it's D&G, it's portmans, that's country road, wow that's kookai...' heaven. Literally.
So now I got so many brand-name clothes I'd never had in my life before!!!
Amongst everything what I enjoy the most is dressing dummies. Often it's quite a challenge to coordinate clothes when the variety of styles and colours is limited, but fortunately we've been receiving many pretty clothes these days to choose from...although half the time I get this pang of temptation while selecting outfits and end up buying a couple of them for that very reason.
Today I bought a pair of country road jeans and a leather jacket by Dormeuil
This time I used a chair as the dummy...it doesn't have anything to match with, though.
(It even has Dormeul
Going back to original subject, the pleasure of dressing mannequins is that it really seems to make difference when it comes to inviting more customers in. I've become more attentive on how other retail shops display the shop windows, as well as the fashion trends.
Everytime I go there I wrap myself in clothes I got from our op-shop and brag to customers about it (well, you can't help it really, can you?)
When I first started at this shop, it was like 'OMG OMG OMG OMG it's D&G, it's portmans, that's country road, wow that's kookai...' heaven. Literally.
So now I got so many brand-name clothes I'd never had in my life before!!!
It's almost the end of winter.
It's raining again.
Only 40.3%? After all this rain?
Somehow the water catchment system isn't working efficiently, otherwise where is all the storm water going to?
Let's change the topic.
About nearly a month after seeing the blossoming flowers up on the plenty road, flower buds are finally growing bigger on our street.
Every bit of rain helps them grow.
And after every rain gets closer to spring.
It's time to unpack those spring clothes.
Clean up the house (shouldn't I be doing that regardless of the season?)
Tidy up some junk. (Yes, they're junk!)
Cut the memory off those rubbish! ... we can't hold onto everything, you know.
I didn't have a chance to see snow this winter, by the way.
Has Spring Already Come on Plenty Road?
Plenty Road, Kingsbury in Victoria is the most sun-drenched street around where I live.
Just about a week ago I saw the buds on the plum tree on the street. This arvo, however, I passed by the same spot hoping to take photos of the flower buds.
But surprise, surprise.
It was already in full bloom, not just that particular tree, but azaleas, peach blossoms were all competing their beauty in the dazzling sun.
No kidding, I was sweating in my lighter-than-usual clothing.
Just check out those photos I took today, see how evocative these are of a mid-spring day!
Re: AFL
By the way, it's only 4 rounds left till the grand final.
Bulldogs will be playing againstNorth Melbourne tomorrow night, while Cats against Swans...I really hope Cats will lose tonight's game.
St. Kilda lost last night's game, which is a good? news *grin*.
If Bulldogs wins, you know, there maybe a chance that they will play at the final against Magpies.
What do you reckon?
Just about a week ago I saw the buds on the plum tree on the street. This arvo, however, I passed by the same spot hoping to take photos of the flower buds.
But surprise, surprise.
It was already in full bloom, not just that particular tree, but azaleas, peach blossoms were all competing their beauty in the dazzling sun.
No kidding, I was sweating in my lighter-than-usual clothing.
Just check out those photos I took today, see how evocative these are of a mid-spring day!
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| At a petrol station around the corner from my house. |
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| It's a plum tree, isn't it? |
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| Guess it's peach blossoms not cherry blossoms, or is it? |
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| My auntie was growing them in the garden, heaps of them in different colours... |
Re: AFL
By the way, it's only 4 rounds left till the grand final.
Bulldogs will be playing against
St. Kilda lost last night's game, which is a good? news *grin*.
If Bulldogs wins, you know, there maybe a chance that they will play at the final against Magpies.
What do you reckon?
Enjoy Winter While It Lasts.
After weeks of cold weather, now it’s warming up again.
I don’t recall exactly when, but I’ve noticed the little flower buds emerging on some plum trees, especially those growing in sun-drenched gardens and streets.
While I was putting out the laundry late this morning, I spotted some flowers, possibly daisy, blooming in the corner of my backyard.
Looking around, I saw more plants emerging from the ground.
Is spring just around the corner?
Well, No.
Officially spring doesn’t start until the 1st of September.
And I don’t want winter to end anyway. Not yet.
I want time to pass slowly, so that I can taste the tranquility in the air a bit longer.
Teddies love sitting on the comfy sofa, with the gas heater on and watch TV with me and my husband.
You know the feeling; nice, warm and cosy. I love it.
So I shall enjoy it, while winter lasts.
It’s only about a month to the buzz-y and cheerful season.
I don’t recall exactly when, but I’ve noticed the little flower buds emerging on some plum trees, especially those growing in sun-drenched gardens and streets.
While I was putting out the laundry late this morning, I spotted some flowers, possibly daisy, blooming in the corner of my backyard.
Looking around, I saw more plants emerging from the ground.
Is spring just around the corner?
Well, No.
Officially spring doesn’t start until the 1st of September.
And I don’t want winter to end anyway. Not yet.
I want time to pass slowly, so that I can taste the tranquility in the air a bit longer.
Teddies love sitting on the comfy sofa, with the gas heater on and watch TV with me and my husband.
You know the feeling; nice, warm and cosy. I love it.
So I shall enjoy it, while winter lasts.
It’s only about a month to the buzz-y and cheerful season.
From Melbourne to Japan, Enjoy the Feel of Freezing Air
I find Melbourne
It's the first time in 9 years I felt my fingers paralyse with cold.
Of course it is different from the winter inJapan
Still, seeing a thin blanket of frost covering the grass around 9am in the morning, is refreshing.
My granny had a sizable vegie patch in our backyard.
When the winter came, the frost crystals used to grow around 1cm long and dug deep into the soil. I enjoyed the sound of them breaking and the feeling as they cracked at my footsteps.
When was the last time I went back toJapan
Just a few days ago I talked to my mother-in-law on the phone.
According to what she told me, there are some snowfalls in southern part and mountainside ofTasmania
Hobart
I wondered if Tassie winter is similar to that inJapan
Hubby even told me the story about the frost crystals.
It's been freezing this winter.
I'm secretly waiting for the snowfall.
How amazing it would be to see the snow inMelbourne
Last timeMelbourne
Actually there was a light snowfall in some outer suburbs ofMelbourne
Meanwhile, I stay in the lounge and curls up in front of the heater with a book in my hands.
Soon I'd start dozing off,
and before I know it, I'd be drooling with my book open.
It's the first time in 9 years I felt my fingers paralyse with cold.
Of course it is different from the winter in
Still, seeing a thin blanket of frost covering the grass around 9am in the morning, is refreshing.
My granny had a sizable vegie patch in our backyard.
When the winter came, the frost crystals used to grow around 1cm long and dug deep into the soil. I enjoyed the sound of them breaking and the feeling as they cracked at my footsteps.
When was the last time I went back to
Just a few days ago I talked to my mother-in-law on the phone.
According to what she told me, there are some snowfalls in southern part and mountainside of
I wondered if Tassie winter is similar to that in
Hubby even told me the story about the frost crystals.
It's been freezing this winter.
I'm secretly waiting for the snowfall.
How amazing it would be to see the snow in
Last time
Actually there was a light snowfall in some outer suburbs of
Meanwhile, I stay in the lounge and curls up in front of the heater with a book in my hands.
Soon I'd start dozing off,
and before I know it, I'd be drooling with my book open.
What Do You Think of Aussie Sense of Humour?
I was feeling a bit constricted for the past few weeks, so it's about time I start cracking not-so-funny jokes and laugh at myself in a positive way.
The problem is I'm not in the mood yet...I will be, soon.
Dad was like me, he was a quiet, introvert-type guy but used to crack だじゃれ non-stop when he was in the right mood (laid-back mood).
My so-called jokes are probably leaning towards the naughty side. Because it's safer, light-hearted kinda joke that most people get. (Other jokes have the risk of getting misinterpreted as sarcasm.)
Last week, there was a male mannequin in the shop left undressed after someone bought his outfit, and I thought;
Oops. I gotta dress him.
We had a large selection of nice tops, but not many cool pants/jeans to match up at that moment.
My eyes swept the shop quickly - then I found a pair of tradie's overall.
Australian women love tradies (tradesmen), young, masculine and manly - sexy.
So here's what I did - I put the overall and a baseball cap on him, turning its brim sideways. I grinned inwardly imagining what would happen.
That kind of 'Innuendo' is something I find in so many magazines and tv ads inAustralia
[More than 'Innuendo' in a Lynx TV ad?]
Sure enough, next time I saw it the overall on him was all unbuttoned at the front.
Talking of TV ads, there're a few funny ads in Australia, (AAMI, Intel, etc. you know if you're Australian residents...although I wonder if AAMI is running out of ideas...)
Both me and hubby reckon Japanese tv ads are hilarious, those kick-ass ads are funny and quarky.
I'm tossing up whether Japanese ads are funnier than Australians...
まあ、下のリンクでご覧下さいませ。オーストラリアでも１と２を争う面白コマーシャルです。
日本のと比べてどう思いますか？
Well, just check out these following links to view 2 of the funniest Aussie ads.
What do you reckon compared to Japanese Ads?
([]内をクリックするとユーチューブ画面にジャンプします。)
[AAMI commercial]
* Very clever, hope the insurance claims are as easy as what they suggest in this commercial. So where's the catch? - Hmmm, you gotta know 'What About Me' by Shanon Noll (ex 'Australian Idol' runner-up).
[Intel commercial]
* You don't have to understand English to enjoy this AD.
The problem is I'm not in the mood yet...I will be, soon.
Dad was like me, he was a quiet, introvert-type guy but used to crack だじゃれ non-stop when he was in the right mood (laid-back mood).
My so-called jokes are probably leaning towards the naughty side. Because it's safer, light-hearted kinda joke that most people get. (Other jokes have the risk of getting misinterpreted as sarcasm.)
Last week, there was a male mannequin in the shop left undressed after someone bought his outfit, and I thought;
Oops. I gotta dress him.
We had a large selection of nice tops, but not many cool pants/jeans to match up at that moment.
My eyes swept the shop quickly - then I found a pair of tradie's overall.
Australian women love tradies (tradesmen), young, masculine and manly - sexy.
So here's what I did - I put the overall and a baseball cap on him, turning its brim sideways. I grinned inwardly imagining what would happen.
That kind of 'Innuendo' is something I find in so many magazines and tv ads in
[More than 'Innuendo' in a Lynx TV ad?]
Sure enough, next time I saw it the overall on him was all unbuttoned at the front.
Talking of TV ads, there're a few funny ads in Australia, (AAMI, Intel, etc. you know if you're Australian residents...although I wonder if AAMI is running out of ideas...)
Both me and hubby reckon Japanese tv ads are hilarious, those kick-ass ads are funny and quarky.
I'm tossing up whether Japanese ads are funnier than Australians...
まあ、下のリンクでご覧下さいませ。オーストラリアでも１と２を争う面白コマーシャルです。
日本のと比べてどう思いますか？
Well, just check out these following links to view 2 of the funniest Aussie ads.
What do you reckon compared to Japanese Ads?
([]内をクリックするとユーチューブ画面にジャンプします。)
[AAMI commercial]
* Very clever, hope the insurance claims are as easy as what they suggest in this commercial. So where's the catch? - Hmmm, you gotta know 'What About Me' by Shanon Noll (ex 'Australian Idol' runner-up).
[Intel commercial]
* You don't have to understand English to enjoy this AD.
Get Strong, Get Smart, Girl. (すみません、Girl じゃなくておばさんです。)
Today was another full-on day, but I believe that I coped with the pressure a lot better this time.
Sometimes I get so pissed off, so frustrated and whigey.
You observe something not quite fair, not quite right, but can't say anything.
You want to say it aloud if you could, but you don't want to dob someone in.
- I know people do back-stab other people all the time, but I can't and don't want to.
I know. I'm self-contradicted.
Whether I say it aloud or not doesn't change the situation, and me getting frustrated doesn't achieve anything other than exacerbating my condition. All what's left is the never-ending dilemma.
So I decided to overcome my confidence wobble from two days ago, with the support from my boss, supervisor and other volunteers.
I am aware that my boss is pleased with me performance-wise, but he also knows that I have some 'trust' issues. Suppose that I haven't adapted into Australian way as yet.
I asked him if I'm being too square, if I should be more 'flexible', and I started talking about some incidents ... then I faltered. Then my voice faded away.
He is really good at reading one's mind, he sort of knew what I was getting at without me having to finish the talk that I could't finish anyway.
Some people are flexible in both good ways and bad ways, I do understand. Just that I was having trouble accepting it.
Talking to my boss and one of my workmates reminded me that there are people who understand me and know what's going on.
Many epileptics tend to get anxious and frustrated more easily than average people, but I think I can defeat this issue.
After going through this challenging week, I'm even more determined to master 'customer service' skill, because it might get me somewhere in the future.
Sometimes I get so pissed off, so frustrated and whigey.
You observe something not quite fair, not quite right, but can't say anything.
You want to say it aloud if you could, but you don't want to dob someone in.
- I know people do back-stab other people all the time, but I can't and don't want to.
I know. I'm self-contradicted.
Whether I say it aloud or not doesn't change the situation, and me getting frustrated doesn't achieve anything other than exacerbating my condition. All what's left is the never-ending dilemma.
So I decided to overcome my confidence wobble from two days ago, with the support from my boss, supervisor and other volunteers.
I am aware that my boss is pleased with me performance-wise, but he also knows that I have some 'trust' issues. Suppose that I haven't adapted into Australian way as yet.
I asked him if I'm being too square, if I should be more 'flexible', and I started talking about some incidents ... then I faltered. Then my voice faded away.
He is really good at reading one's mind, he sort of knew what I was getting at without me having to finish the talk that I could't finish anyway.
Some people are flexible in both good ways and bad ways, I do understand. Just that I was having trouble accepting it.
Talking to my boss and one of my workmates reminded me that there are people who understand me and know what's going on.
Many epileptics tend to get anxious and frustrated more easily than average people, but I think I can defeat this issue.
After going through this challenging week, I'm even more determined to master 'customer service' skill, because it might get me somewhere in the future.
Visually unfriendly but environmentally friendly.
I'm usually rostered on Mondays and Thursdays, but I swapped the days to Wednesday and Friday this week due to the shortage of volunteers. (however we'll be getting more volunteers from next week onwards so it's for this week only.)
Fortunately my husband didn't have to work today either, so we decided to go to the Ceres community park inEast Brunswick .
First I dropped off Lesel soaps at the op-shop as I promised to my supervisor and then headed to Merri Creek.
The water level was higher than usual thanks to the rain we had yesterday.
Obviously the walk path has been cemented and diverted since we were there last time, and the creek didn't have the bad rotten smell I remembered from a few months ago.
It was freezing with the top temperature of 13 degree, but when we were there the weather was perfect.
Fortunately my husband didn't have to work today either, so we decided to go to the Ceres community park in
First I dropped off Lesel soaps at the op-shop as I promised to my supervisor and then headed to Merri Creek.
The water level was higher than usual thanks to the rain we had yesterday.
Obviously the walk path has been cemented and diverted since we were there last time, and the creek didn't have the bad rotten smell I remembered from a few months ago.
It was freezing with the top temperature of 13 degree, but when we were there the weather was perfect.
This place used to be our favorite destination for weekend walks.
With its tranquility and the nature and human-life so well-balanced (in the area so close to the city centre), we found the hidden gem in this place.
After a short walk, we had a break at the Ceres cafe.
We always have chai latte with soy milk. The price ($3) is reasonable considering the pot contains at least 2 cupful of chai latte. I also like the way it has the strong authentic chai flavour.
As usual I left him reading the newspaper at the table after finishing my cuppa and walked around the park for a while.
Ceres is indeed an organisation which promotes sustainable life-style and green energy.
They use organic matters to grow vegetables, recycle bikes and generates wind power, etc. More information can be found in their website (A click on 'Ceres' will take you to their website.)
What I will show you in the next few photos are the examples of their activities.
The battery operated car.
Farmers' Market
I love all sorts of markets but my favourite is farmers' market.
If you are a food lover and prepared to spend a bit more to get something more tasty and fresh, Farmer's Market is the place to go.
Now that we live a little farther away from the city, it's harder to go to any of those markets mentioned above. Actually we hadn't been to any farmer's market for close to 10 months. And that was the only thing I had been missing since shifting into my current residence.
Well, I said - HAD BEEN.
Did I find another one? Yes indeed!
A mere 5-minute drive from my house is a local park called Bundoora Park, and farmers' market is held there on the 1st saturday every month.
Being a big fan of farmers' market, the new discovery elated me so much that I had been planning to check it out since 2 months ago when I first found out about it.
This morning, we got up earlier than usual (7.30am) but by the time we left our house it was already 10am.
As soon as we arrived, we noticed the absence of buskers, which is one of the common characteristics of farmers' markets.
It was a simple, more locally oriented market.
This side of the city is closer to the nature and the air is a lot fresher. Plus there's no parking fee or admission fee.
Like other markets we've been to, there were heaps of free food available for tasting, which means you'd get full by the time you've gone through half those stalls.
- We'd better skip our brekkie next time we go there.
This time we managed to keep the spending under $100 (around $70) - much less than usual. One downside of those markets is that everything tastes so beautiful that you tend to spend more than what you initially intended.
If your budget is limited, you'd have to decide what you get before you go.
Having said that, it was hard to fight with the temptation to buy more.
This time, we bought some goat cheese, cheese with peppercorn, sausages, nuts, a jar of jam, spinach and feta pesto (the best!) and had coffee and sweets while we were there.
And we already know what we want next time - things we missed out on today because we were too late. Some products sell out so quickly that you'd have to be there really early to get them. This farmers' market opens at 8am.
Here're some photos of the place. Not bad hey?
The first day of winter.
A beautiful day of…is it still autumn?
Oh, hang on. It’s the first day of winter!
Since the weather was lovely, I went outside and took some photos around my house.
The trees growing on the side of our street have, indeed, already changed their colour.
Surprisingly, today was the first day I noticed it. That shows how preoccupied I was for the past few weeks!
A nice, quiet afternoon was just what the doctor ordered! :)
Oh, hang on. It’s the first day of winter!
Since the weather was lovely, I went outside and took some photos around my house.
The trees growing on the side of our street have, indeed, already changed their colour.
Surprisingly, today was the first day I noticed it. That shows how preoccupied I was for the past few weeks!
A nice, quiet afternoon was just what the doctor ordered! :)
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| The Overview from My Place |
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| Mulgrave St. Reservoir VIC Australia |
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| My Backyard |
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| Gum Trees |
Learning from mistakes.
There is one thing I learned from the past couple of weeks' ordeal.
I should've taken charge of the project in order to get the result I wanted. - The principle I had forgotten.
Sometimes I can be damn lazy and expect others to satisfy my needs by blaming my medical condition for not giving me enough energy and motivation.
Also, what worked inJapan doesn't work here in Australia
(Didn't I know that already?)
'Clients are our gods (treasure)' mentality isn't as strong here and our ultimate satisfaction may not necessarily be their business.
I should've realized that I sometimes have to believe my own judgement.
I was uncertain, because I didn't grow up in this country and I don't know how things work here. So after long time of wavering I decided not to handle the business directly.
But hey, you'd often get this gut feeling that tells you when something is not right, wouldn't you? - I did.
The mistake I made was that I didn't trust that instinct.
Maybe I didn't want to take the responsibility in case something goes wrong and if it does I can pass the buck to someone else...so I have only myself to blame.
If I really want to survive in this country, I'd have to have guts to say things when I have to - I can't always be polite to people who try to scam or take advantage on disadvantaged people.
The challenge is - how to play the game. How to be assertive. Someone said to me,
'Well, practice love, practice - and you'll get better at it.'
2 years ago I missed the opportunity of getting a job by losing my cool after getting incessantly intimidated by a person at work (I had a casual position there).
I learned my lesson. You lose your cool, you lose your game.
I've been taking a baby step everyday since then and,
yeah, I think I'm at least better than I was back then.
Practice, practice makes perfect.
I should've taken charge of the project in order to get the result I wanted. - The principle I had forgotten.
Sometimes I can be damn lazy and expect others to satisfy my needs by blaming my medical condition for not giving me enough energy and motivation.
Also, what worked in
(Didn't I know that already?)
'Clients are our gods (treasure)' mentality isn't as strong here and our ultimate satisfaction may not necessarily be their business.
I should've realized that I sometimes have to believe my own judgement.
I was uncertain, because I didn't grow up in this country and I don't know how things work here. So after long time of wavering I decided not to handle the business directly.
But hey, you'd often get this gut feeling that tells you when something is not right, wouldn't you? - I did.
The mistake I made was that I didn't trust that instinct.
Maybe I didn't want to take the responsibility in case something goes wrong and if it does I can pass the buck to someone else...so I have only myself to blame.
If I really want to survive in this country, I'd have to have guts to say things when I have to - I can't always be polite to people who try to scam or take advantage on disadvantaged people.
The challenge is - how to play the game. How to be assertive. Someone said to me,
'Well, practice love, practice - and you'll get better at it.'
2 years ago I missed the opportunity of getting a job by losing my cool after getting incessantly intimidated by a person at work (I had a casual position there).
I learned my lesson. You lose your cool, you lose your game.
I've been taking a baby step everyday since then and,
yeah, I think I'm at least better than I was back then.
Practice, practice makes perfect.
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