Story time: The Corporate World...

(Originally 'penned' November 9, 2014)

Periodically I step back into the corporate world in the form of, well, what I have heard it referred to as is a 'professional temp'.  Luckily for me I have a long standing relationship with one particular Company that calls me in when either someone is on leave, it gets to a busy period, or they want to complete a research project.

So this week I have been back in the office, ultimately helping play catch up, and filling a hole left as sadly someone had a relative in a bad accident overseas and had to jump on a flight immediately.

This week has stemmed a conversation amongst those of us in this particular department I am working in, on different 'breeds' of workers.  I guess it is funny to categorise people in that way, but I really can't think of a better way to put it.

There are people that cruise along in their workplace and don't think of the flow on effect that their daily work has on the person next to them.  I have run across this multiple times in my previous life as a corporate lackie, along with the fact that nearly every job I have ever taken there was no instructions for.  Which opens up a whole new can of worms I suppose; the old 'what if I got hit by a bus' argument. Not that any of us want to be hit by a bus of course, however it begs the question, are people too busy in their day to document what it is they actually do?

When I worked in Corporate full-time, I actually tended to stay in jobs quite a long time... 4 1/2 years I think was the longest, in a job I actually truly loved with a great team of people who were like family. But the great powers that be in Government, back in the time when they never wanted to make anyone permanent and forced them to annually apply for their own jobs in a long-winded application (I'm talking 12 pages here), ousted me from my own job. They decided to pass it on to someone who I knew for a fact actually had no real direct experience in how we were developing this division of the Agency. I'm all for learning new skills but this was a little different.  They gave me four days notice that I was unsuccessful in my application to retain my own job and said 'there's talk of you perhaps wanting to stay on a little bit longer' (as they understood it was not much notice, or some such fuckery). I strongly replied 'I think it's more in my interest to go and find another job, don't you?'.  They wanted me to stay on and train the person. Well fair enough; I have done a myriad of training and hand-overs in my life, when moving sideways or upwards or whatever. But when someone actually decides to pull one over in you in that manner, giving so little notice, sorry but they're on their own.

I had a new job about 5 days after leaving that one.

I also had a Corporate relationship that was very toxic, and after 3 1/2 years I declined an offer from Management to simply take a break (I'd fallen down a staircase and screwed up my lower lumbar too, that didn't really help sitting at a desk every day).  I ended up over the few years following my departure often being poached when they found out, somehow (little birdies?), that I was in between temp jobs.  In this instance I had the power to negotiate - which was always received well - and make some small demands. IE. 'I can come for X period of time, but 2 weeks before I leave I want you to find me someone to fully train' or 'I want to work 4 days in December, in the new year I can go to 5, but at X date I must leave because I have a contract with Y.'

I do leave VERY comprehensive instruction manuals in any job I move on from, whether it has been a short fill-in project, or a longer permanent full-time job I have had. When I have been given the opportunity to hand-over properly I give training to the best of my ability, which I actually think I am quite good at.

(new notes 20 March 2015): Wow, this is actually pretty good I think. Anyway it goes a small way to explain as to why I moved from full time Corporate universe into Festival CarnieLand. As many of you know, I spent most of my extra curricular hours in those early working years volunteering for the excellent Three D Radio, clocking up ten years in total between 1994 & 2004. I also put my hand up to assist with many local events in Adelaide, anything from being a door bitch, to organising Three D's 21st birthday when everyone else had thought there was not enough time to do so. And after many years of sitting in an office, I applied for a job with Falls simply because I wanted an excuse to go back to the beauty that is Tasmania.

And the rest is history...
xJ

lonely and sadly alone...

Well, you know I have to be honest here, on Friday I felt terribly alone, sitting in the lounge devouring red wine, after buying frozen sweet potato fries and baking some fish, then watching some dodgy movie on teevee that was neither fantastic nor offensive to me. You know those movies.

It could well be that 'festival remorse' is real. I mean let's face it, several times a year (well, okay, a lot of the year) I spend my time with my festival families. Then I have to leave them. All of a sudden it's "goodbye, see you next year" - as we're all transient bastards, let's not lie about it.

Spending a few weeks in Sydney was both overwhelming and lovely at the same time. Met a wonderful new crew of peoples, but also felt particularly out of place in that city. Everyone seems too well dressed, or perhaps it was just that I saw a lot of corporate people and that generally makes me shudder. There's a difference between a nice suit and a dude standing on a corner with one of those blue tooth headsets (i thought no-one used them anymore, turns out I was wrong) looking like he's talking to himself, but it being about something terribly important like the next big thing, or budgeting or some crap.

I did, however, enjoy the fact that a bunch of people were coming together to watch footage and ideas from across the globe in many languages. It really has reignited my fascination for film (like it was ever  really gone? i guess other things took precedence in recent years) and think fondly of those friends within that industry thinking 'bravo'.

And GO TEAM BOX OFFICE.

This festival remorse will become all the worse I am sure when I return to Canada soon to help out on Shambhala and have to head back to the Land Of Oz so quickly. I had such an amazing time there last year, even if I did sound like Darth Vadar for a few days and get hooked up to some oxygen therapy. And I had camping neighbours that had yip-yip costumes.

So... Festival Number 36 will you please stand up...

That continual feeling that I belong in that country instead of my own will probably never pass. I've got this strange feeling I will always regret leaving when I did, and always regret not checking out what the requirements would have been for me to stay.  I didn't want to work a lot when I was there, I made that choice, I developed other skills and kept everything flexible to fit in with my disappearing act type lifestyle.

We are so lucky here, and I get jack of people that complain and scare monger, do things for their own gain. Like SUCK IT UP all of you, we have low unemployment, medical care for all, a Government that is actually moving towards decreasing our environmental impact... I mean of course not all of these things are perfect, we are still fighting for many important things to be heard / passed / understood. But to whine and moan about pricing and such, think less. It's always more.

Do you really NEED 3 televisions, 2 cars, shoe hire, hot dog, fries and a coke?! To run your air conditioner or heater 24 / 7, then cry about electric bills?! Put on a jumper!

Our shitty media largely to blame for our over-consumption of just about everything. You need the latest gadget man, seriously, you do... *scoff*.

Look outside it, and get involved in what is local to you.

{ Actually can I ad that some of the television advertising I have seen lately REALLY gives me the shits. Clubs Australia trying to convince us that they are part of a solution... banks using high profile celebs to make them sound like a charity... mining companies trying to prove that they work along side environmental projects. Y'all make me sick. }

here ends the ranting...

Ohhhh Canadaaaaaaa...

this is where I isssss....

the cat is pawing at me to pay attention. she often gets her claws stuck in my clothes which is of course a problem. she also thinks she owns everything, as all cats do. Which is kinda why I don't end up liking them so much. Of course bearable but not my favourite animals. Dogs sure are. Except ones that headbutt me in the face in the park in Melbourne. That's a whole 'nother story.

It's bucketing down in Vancouver and I want to walk to work. It's kind of not fair somehow. Just when I have the motivation. Well the other reason is for being poor. Why not incorporate saving money with exercise. No problems there.

Besides, I need to start carbon offsetting my travel more effectively.

Walking takes an hour, I would be drowned head to toe by then. Sucks.

Oh well, best make some sandwiches to take in and hope it dies down shortly.

xx

life in bristanbul...

well i feel a wee bit more like me and a little less like sad sack confused julie which is particularly nice.

body is very sore, probably too much fluffing about on the laptop this weekend.

just had a quick phone convo with a mate who i have left behind in adelaide. kinda sad.

but yes, the last week or so we have been cooking lots, talking crap, walking home in the middle of the night, spending time with nice people and i have been working particularly hard.

xxJ

fringey bits...

Monski Mouse spruking for the Puppet Palace

Leigh Stardust in between sets at the Garden...

me and shuzzbutt hanging in the garden...

Frehd Astarr - There's Something About Fairy - Rhino Room

xJ

it's raining...

not men, but outside.

so curious things have been happening... annoyed online friends that i mention boys.... well i can't help that.

i have no idea what to write there are many things going through my head.

i am starting a months work tomorrow, temping. the only thing that worries me is the possible travelling time, because even tho it should realistically take me no more than 20 mins, the traffic here is so unpredictable it's hard to know. i guess i'll gauge it tomorrow.

we've churned through arrested development all three seasons recently at wilton street, now we're back onto starting at episode one of sex and the city. by the time its over i might have some cash to get house season 3.

the dvd collection is kind of getting out of control, it's not that it's a bad collection, but once you get stuck into a collection it's kind of hard to stop. it kind of makes me a big consumer doesn't it?

still desperately trying to go through and cull things. there's an op shop bag, an ebay box and a stuff to give to friends who have kids that are just awesome bag.

had a nice time slothing with a friend watching death proof for like the fourth time...

that's all for now.
xJ

ok so once again i've been slack...

and i can't remember half the stuff i've been doing... let's go backwards...

last night i had dinner with my aunt and uncle for my aunts birthday at the buckingham arms where they have a massive smorgasboard. tasty.

then i just came home with the intention of going through last of crap lying around and sorting out... well i only got so far with that, i got distracted by adam sandler movie on tele.

i WAS going to go to the gov but i've really spent a whole lot of cash since i got paid the other day on boring necessities like bras. yay.

during the day yesterday i went to mum and dads so dad could check out the car and my sister and i went to mclaren vale to medlows and scarpantoni (necessary before leaving this town) to buy chocolate and lots of it and wine.

friday night had dinner with a different aunt at cafe michael 2 on rundle st, then on to the uni bar for Your Motive For and Raw Ether (didn't see Fear in Dakota who i think played last). Saw the lovely ladies as follows... (and some gents too but they don't get pics taken of them, hehe)

Tracey and Eva...

Fiona and Heidi...

Yours truly and Fiona...

Great, great. Trotted off for a quick drink at Rhino before having to trudge half way across town to meet the boys again in my big boots and caught a cab home.

Thursday night Loz and I went bowling... now i got a 135... NOT GOOD ENOUGH. 141 or bust!

Earlier in the week haven't done as much, been temping still.

to be continued...

xJ

saturday snotty night...

hehehe.

well judes came over so we made some pizza and mooched around watching some black books and fry & laurie as well as outtakes cos you should ALWAYS watch outtakes!

judy showing off her cheapo FABULOUS make up bag

and just general chin wagging really.

"just one question before i pack...

when you fuck it up later do i get my money back?"

Aimee Mann

so today i can consider going to radio to play with philo, but to me i sound husky, even tho judes sez no no you dont.... i guess my ears are blocked. besides its not really wise to talk into a mic for two hours and pass on your sickness to others... blergh.

but i kinda wanna go and play. waah.

anyhoo, so i'm going to mum & dads for the next day or so to de-cattify as well as de-neighbourfy. luckily julz dad lives close by and can come and feed the kitties for a day.

i think we'll be playing cards, watching battle of the choirs (i used to do a lot of choir stuff), maybe doing some sewing, watching mooFies, blah blah blah. general chillness. i guess dad has to go to work tomorrow but i'll try and get him to wag a day. cos he should. haha.

i should take life on mars season 1 with me so dad can watch it. looking forward to when ashes to ashes comes out on aussie tv. interesting. i hope it doesn't ruin it.

cos john simm is the shite and so is liz white and so is OUR GOV! GO GOV!!

ooh and hopefully we'll be able to dub off some of the random old home movies off my vhs tapes cos i brought a whole heap with me but i kind of want to split them up into dvd 'tracks' so that you can just watch one thing and not have to watch like 2 hours of something else to find out 5 minutes of something else... if that makes sense i have no idea. lets blame the sickness.

Get Smart comes out at the cinema this week. ace bro tafe. can't wait.

cos i love steve carrell in the pants.

indeed.

xJ

ps. oh heres an old pic of kirst and i that she sent me from our trip to asia last year... sexy beetches. haha.

zee weekend...

frivolous friday... met the lovely t-roy for a cup of tea in the central market.

bumped into the lovely anni with short-short hair!

went home for a while...

drove back into town to meet judy at the union...

the unions all fancy now... but not tacky. pretty good job really.

pity about all the suits...

something on the footpath??

discovered from james that anz decided not to fund the tasmanian pulp mill... we high fived for that!

ate from the china town food court...

drove to crafers and stayed in an triangular house with a fire...

and drunken judy yelling obscenities just for the hell of it, woody making pumpkin soup at 2am and randall making sure all the plants were watered. classic...

tho made me need sleep.

on to the ed castle to see aliese for her pappy smurfday.

mooched back home.

today discovered one of my tyres was completely flat...

watched some life on mars...

made some more jewellery bits....

yep i'm spent. that be all.

xJ

Weekend Antics...

so.... Saturday...

Spoz & i met at the erm, pub i forget which one it's on currie street... Ed Castle me thinks.... to have some food then headed to the Grace Emily for the Mixmasters Birthday Party. Happy birthday Mixmasters. when we arrived the lovely Cookie Baker was playing and ended with a song about clean sheets and gin. loved it.

The boys from Your Motive For also played, and some new bands I hadn't seen before which was cool. Oh Special Patrol as well and Booster.

So much frivolity and drinking was had with the Brillig-eans, Heidi, Eva, Ernie, Tracey, Josh and Alan Brough from Spicks & Specks joined the festivities! Good to see ya in such a good pub Alan, you're excellent.

I have not ONE photo from Saturday which is just a bit silly if you ask me but i'm sure Spoz can indulge you all.

I left my car in town too and it was still there yesterday. Went for a wander, had some brekkie, checked out all the tasty morsels in the David Jones' food glorious food area, but didn't buy. How restrained. Bought Tea from T-bar for Maria, said hi to John at StarBooks (Greater Union Complex on Hindley, it's a truly ace shop) where I bought a biography about XTC, and wandered off to find the car intact.

Came home and beaded for a while and did more crosswords. I see a pattern forming, don't you?

muchos love.
xJ

ahh RADelaide...

Ready to go to the Grace Emily...

Something very curious is going on...

Da girls are back at the Rhino Room... even if kirst is only here for like 5 days! bah!

more soon.

xJ

20 years of RAGE...

gee i'm glad i am awake enough to witness this fine bit of music television programming! Bravo RAGE, merry birthday, if ever i can program I would feel honoured.



So what did I do today? Chops came over to make beady things, she helped me finish one and showed me some more knots. I like the way doing something a lil different that you haven't done in a while makes your brain think. I love recreating things. Have finally managed to recycle some of the beads i have kept from things like sandals and broken / stretched bracelets. Destroyed one today to remake a necklace, which doubles as a wrap around bracelet, about 6 loops. Awesome.



I walked in the searing heat down to the bookshop and wondered how I would go camping or something currently. It was HOT. I'm noticing my skin freaking out a bit. Strange for me cos it's always been so good. So I have to be more diligent and protect it some more, and also get a good couple beach trips over summer. Hope to go to Moana Beach in SA for a good body board and swim and muck around.



YEH! She Don't Use Jelly filmclip on now. hehehe.



Anna came over to pool resources and make some dinner. Always enjoyable. She will enjoy living here I think, whenever that may be...



Have some new plans in my brain, got to do a bit of budgeting to work out the next 12 months. I figure I at least have the right to a round the world trip because I will turn 30 in 2008! Actually looking forward to it but there are things i'd like to achieve before reaching that milestone.



"Taaaaaaaangarines...."



So yes, made a beady birthday present for Emma and picked up my copy of Into The Wild which I ordered about 3 weeks back. Bad Macmillan Publishing for giving my local independant bookshop a hard time! They're too nice to get treated that way! bah!



Must go, wash my face, put some moisturiser on and go to bed. Indeed.



Oh, so the vox pop quest from December 1 has been 'how many beady things can I make before xmas?'



This far:



Repaired = 3

Made = 4



Muchos Love to all.

xJ


footnote: Falcon Beach returning to Saturday Morning ABC TV programming today. I was thrilled.
footnote: Falcon Beach also returned to Saturday Morning ABC TV today. I was thrilled.