Sunday, August 27, 2006

I'm soooo knackered! This last week has been so busy, what with moving flat and starting a new job. I must first correct myself regarding my new job title...I'm actually a Senior Product Administrator (scary sounding!) I had 2 days handover with the girl that's leaving on Thursday and Friday and my brain feels like it's going to explode!! There is so much information to learn, I'm a bit worried that I won't be able to do it all, but I guess that's the same whenever you start a new job. The team are really nice, they are all really young and good fun, which is different from working for a government company. I had 2 lunches already, they had a PA lunch on Thursday and a leaving lunch for Roxanne on Friday, so I got to meet some more people. I'm a bit worried about going in tomorrow as I'll be on my own...scary stuff!
We've had a busy weekend too, yesterday we caught the bus to Palm beach for a friends birthday and leaving do, we had a bbq and then went to the pub for a bit. Today we've got more of the flat cleaned up and it's looking pretty good now. We've just got back from shopping now with some more essentials, so hopefully we'll get a nice relaxing evening with a dvd (I haven't had one of those for ages!!)
Here are some pics from the flat
The kitchen
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Main bedroom
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Spare room
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Lounge
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Balcony
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Our pool!
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Wednesday, August 23, 2006

I finally got offered a job yesterday! It's a 12 month contract, but it's great as I get all the perks of a permanent job (holidays, sick pay etc). It was all a bit last minute, I was supposed to finish at Sydney Water on Friday, but they desperately needed someoneto start tomorrow as the girl is leaving for her maternity leave. I felt a bit bad leaving early, but I have to do it and they understood...so I start my new job tomorrow. I'll be a PA for one of the heads of department at a company called Clearview (financial services). I'm a bit nervous, but that's normal and I'm so used to starting new jobs. So it seems finally everything is coming together at long last!
Some more good news, my Mum has booked her flight over in Feb next year ;o)

Monday, August 21, 2006

It's been a very busy weekend, but we've finally moved into our new flat! We were given the keys on Friday night which was great as we managed to get most of my stuff moved from Seans. We had quite a late night, and up again very early on Saturday. First priority was to get a fridge and a washing machine and a bed too, looking back now, it was silly to go shopping for stuff actually on the day, but really that was the only chance we had due to opening hours and also we wanted to save on delivery costs by using the van. Eventually, we got the bits we needed, we got a really good deal on a new bed too which was great. Jason's friend Rod helped him move the furniture while I stayed at the flat to clean and sort all the stuff out...not an easy task. We didn't stop until about 6pm, I had to go to the shops to pick up some more bits too. Then we had to drive to Jason's work to drop the van off, by the time we got back it was about 8pm so we decided to get some food at a restaurant (looking like tramps, but we didn't care!) When we got home, first thing I saw in the kitchen was a load of ants and a few cockroaches not what I wanted to go home to, I started going a bit mad, well I wanted it all to be perfect! I had seen a few cockroaches on the previous night which had got me a bit worried, especially as it isn't even summer yet. Anyway, Jason managed to calm me down...that was until we wanted to have a shower. Jason went first and came out saying the water was a bit cold...he'd only been in there 5 mins...so I had to have a cold shower....not happy about that! so that started me off again. I thought it might be better the next day, but I'd got half way through washing my hair and it went cold again. We did check the water tank, which is really tiny, so now I'm worried thats all the hot water we will get, there is no way that 2 people can live there with that tiny amount of water, anyway, back to that later. So I managed to calm down again, but had a fitful sleep (not the fault of our new bed..it's so comfy!) I was just waking up worrying about all the things going wrong (there is also no water coming out of the hot tap in the bathroom sink) I even went into the kitchen a few times to see what the bug situation was!
Anyway, Sunday we got up and sorted the lounge out into a reasonable order so it actuallylooks liveable now, we got the kitchen up together too, but we put all the boxes into the spare room, so that looks like a bomb has hit it..I think we will tackle that tonight. Our bedroom looks great, especially with the new bed, I have a whole wall of wardrobe all to myself...that's my favourite bit (Jason has got the wardrobe in the other room) I have spread all my stuff around and bought about 40 coathangers so I can now hang up all my clothes, which is great cos before we moved most of my stuff was folded which made me forget I had them!
In the afternoon, we went to the shopping mall to pick up some more things we needed, including loading up with cockroach and ant traps!! We spent an absolute fortune,and we still haven't got any food in our nice new (well, 2nd hand) big fridge. That is to be done tonight. So apart from the obvious problems, I really like it there so far, it's looking really nice and I've only seen one cockroach since we've sprayed the place. I have phoned the estate agent today and gave him the long list of problems, so hopefully he'll get back to me with some good news!Tonight we're going shopping to stock up the cupboards, I haven't been eating properly for ages, it's a bit difficult when you're living at someone elses house..so I'm looking forward to eating some healthy food again.

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

We've bought a laptop...yaay! so when we get the broadband set up I'll be able to chat to everyone more, can't wait! Only 3 more nights til we move into our flat, it's going to be so great. I can't believe I'm still in Sydney and I'm leasing a new flat, you just never know what's going to happen in life.
There was a massive hail storm yesterday afternoon. I'd just got out of work and the heavens openened, I had to wait around for ages otherwise I think I would have been injured! I had to go to another recruitment agency to sign up, I tell you most of them are pretty useless,they say they have loads of jobs, yet when you register all of a sudden things have dried up, maybe I'm just gullible! I had to do a few more skills tests, which I've done before, but they're a bit old. My typing was good and my word was advanced (which I can't believe) but my powerpoint was pretty rusty, I think I need to do another course. Mind you, I'm used to using Windows XP, most of these agency tests are on 2000, which is really very old and things are slightly different... not that I'm making excuses! I didn't finish till late and afterwards I felt like my head was going to explode...I've got so much on my mind now, my phone is constantly beeping with reminders of stuff to do, I will be glad when we've moved and I can concentrate properly on finding a job.

Monday, August 14, 2006

We had another busy weekend. Saturday was spent driving to different shopping centres to buy stuff for our new flat. We wanted to buy a new bed, so we went to IKEA, but there weren't any decent mattresses there, I think we need to spend a bit more money on something decent. We did buy some throws for the couch and some saucepans, and a kettle and toaster....not very important, but you have to start somewhere! We have to look for a fridge and a washing machine too, but we can't buy anything til Saturday as we only have the van then. It's all costing a fortune, luckily I had that tax cheque and some savings. But after all this, I have to pay loads for my New Zealand residency too. I've got my medical on Friday, thats $500!
So after Saturday, I didn't feel much like going out, but we did go and meet Linn and Martin, it was supposed to be a quiet drink, but we ended up staying out til 3.30! I still don't feel right now...not good! On Sunday we went to Bondi to meet Sue and a couple of other friends who'd done the Sydney City to Surf run. It's a 14km run, and I think over 60,000 people did it this year. Bondi was full of people. We had a couple of drinks at the pub there, then Jason and I went back to Coogee to meet Paul, who is back from China for a couple of weeks. I really didn't feel like going out, but I had to show my face. I stayed about an hour, then went back to Seans to veg in front of the TV, I'd been dying to do that all day!

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

So we got our application accepted for the flat last night...yippee! But I'm not going to get too excited until we've signed the lease, don't want to tempt fate! If everything goes to plan, we can move in Aug 19th. Hopefully Sean won't mind us staying at his for an extra week...he's due back tomorrow, so we'll see. I'm really pleased about the flat, it's got 2 bedrooms, with huge built in wardrobes in both of them (that sold it for me!) it has a balcony, which unfortunately faces south instead of north, so we won't get the sun in the evening...but to be honest, it gets so hot in summer anyway it'll probably be a relief! There is even a pool in the complex, a small one mind, but nevertheless a pool. We're very happy people now ;o)
I had a laugh last night, I had to go to the police station to get one of my police checks for my New Zealand residency. First off I filled out the form, when I sat down one of the policeman said to me 'you're not that young'...I'd written 30.6.2006 for my date of birth!! Then I had to go through and get my fingerprints done, not as I expected with ink, but on this digital machine. It was pretty cool actually, but not very easy to use, the policeman said that it's even worse when you've got really drunk people trying to fight you whilst you're trying to get their fingerprints....I can well imagine! It took ages to do all the prints. The last prints were of my palms, he was taking the mickey out of me cos I couldn't get my palms flat on the machine and there was a big white gap in the middle of my hand print. We had to do it a few times, as the machine wouldn't accept them, in the end he had to really push my hand down as far as it would go so it would be flat, it was quite painful actually! I asked him if that was normal for that to happen....he said no...he thought it was very funny, so I've got abnormal hands!

Monday, August 07, 2006

Another busy weekend of flat hunting. Friday I left work early to see a couple of flats, including one that Jason had seen the previous night. Jason was supposed to pick me up from work and we would go and see them together, but he was stuck in traffic so I had to get a taxi, which was a nightmare in itself. It was absolutely throwing it down with rain, and it took me 20 mins to get a taxi, by this time I was soaking wet! Anyway, I went to the first flat, but it wasn't that nice. I was hoping to see the other flat that Jason had seen afterwards, but the agent couldn't get us an appointment. I did get a bit worried as that flat was due for an open inspection the following day, and even though I hadn't seen it I thought we should get our applications in for it straight away so we didn't miss out. We got our applications in, hopefully there aren't any problems with it, the only worry I have is that my job is only temporary, but we'll see. So after that I was supposed to come back to the city to meet some people who I worked with last year, they were having drinks for Phil who is going away to get married. But by the time we'd done all our stuff I was still wet and I just couldn't be bothered to go out again. We dropped by Rach and Stu's for a bit, then I went back to the flat and Jason went to see the Strokes.
Saturday we looked at about 10 flats, luckily I managed to see the one we'd applied for and it is really nice, I hope we get it. The rest were really awful, I don't know how these people charge so much money for these places, they are so not worth it. Most places in Coogee are really old too, you don't get many modern kitchens and bathrooms here. It wasn't the best day, we were both really stressed, you literally have about 5 mins in between each viewing, luckily we have a car otherwise it would be impossible. In the evening we went around to Rach and Stu's for a bit, then onto a bar in Coogee. Yesterday we went to the shopping mall (to look at puppies) I don't know why we do it to ourselves, we can't get one yet!! there were loads of them, bless them, I feel so sorry for them in those little cages.
Last night we went to the city to meet Jason's auntie and uncle who were over from New Zealand. We went to the Rocks for a drink and some dinner, it was really nice. We ended up eating at the Loewenbraeu bier keller, it was very authentic, like home from home! I ate Kaese spaetzle (bit like macaroni cheese) it was nice, but no way near as good as the one's I've eaten in Munich or the one I had recently in Vienna.
So that's about it. Work is a lot busier which is good, mind you if I'd been busy before I wouldn't have been able to do all this searching for flats and jobs on the internet!! I actually have been offered a permanent position by one of the Managers downstairs, it sounds like a good job - Office Manager - but I'm really not sure about working for a government company again, it's what I was trying to get out of, I want to work for a young company with a bit more of a social and fun scene, and people around my age, so I'm not sure. I have been offered a few more interviews from other applications too, two of the roles are at a magazine publishing company, the one that publishes Australian Vogue and all the big magazines out here, so I'm quite interested in that, but the money isn't as good. Normally that wouldn't bother me so much if it was a good company, but now I need to save as much as I can for weddings, house deposits etc etc, so I'm not sure!

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

I dragged Jason along to a Buddhism and meditation course on Monday night. It was actually very interesting. It was all a bit profound, trying to understand the subject on Practical Patience was a bit hard to get your head around, I won't even try to explain it! she also talked a lot about Karma. I think I will definitely go back again, plus we did a couple of meditations and I had the best sleep ever!!
Things are still really busy, I've been looking for a permanent job, plus looking for a flat, not really a good idea to do both at the same time, but unfortunately I have no choice! I've registered at a few new agencies, but nothing interesting has come up yet, I'm starting to worry I might not get anything and will have to continue temping. As for the flat hunting, Jason has looked at a couple this week, it's so difficult to see these places as they mostly just show them in the day or late afternoon, so I can't go. We have a couple more tomorrow, and some on Saturday too, so hopefully something decent will come up. I hope we didn't make the wrong decision in not taking that other flat from last week!
I'm so loving staying at Sean's, it really has made such a difference just living on our own...I actually look forward to going home now.... no more sharing flats for me!!