Reminder

Friday 29th June 2012.

Today is a great day, the weather is so nice. I have walked from Chinatown, where I live to the local library. The reason I have chosen to come here is to immerse myself in the books, the literature and the information, knowledge which I can access easily and find my ways to solve some of the current problems I have.

Working on a number of job applications, this process recalled my memory of how frustrated, confused, angry, nervous I have felt before when I was just graduated from University. At that time, whichever positions I had could firmly impact on my professional development and my career. I applied widely on all different jobs, different fields and any opportunities which I could have. I have still remembered my conflicts of working for the casino and the first job I did, it caused my thinking and time to make a non-negotiable decision. And finally, after a few months, I have resigned. That was the fact I could not work in that environment. Fairly reasonable to say, it was a good start for me to deal with a diverse of people. Nevertheless, I have felt kinda I have made a conflicted decision to re-email to the manager of the casino whether they could re-hire me. I am afraid I won't be able to do the work. However, the money is urgently needed.

It has been 10 months since I have left Melbourne. Sydney has nicer weather, a wilder society where I have taken my experiences in Australia to another level. I have felt fortunately to be here and fighting on my own way to explore the possibilities which I could have.

The emotions, the experiences and knowledge I have learnt, especially from some of the inspirational stories from my work in the community organisation have given me a chance to think, review and reflect on my own moral philosophy. There are a number of things that I should take into consideration for my career choice such as - having a degree in business, but I prefer to work for non-profit organisation - more focus on the people "key element" of the story - directly response to the community members. I feel I have more confidence to work with in the community sector, rather than business.

Interestingly, I have not thought clearly about this before, regardless of my dream of having a business. I felt that my proposition is the "people" skills, whereas it is just a pre-mature stage. I do feel that I should learn more about "people" and know how to use it in my own world.

The influences of people who I have met is significantly impact on my attitudes and my growth. My personal quote should be highlighted all the time, just to remind myself about how I come to this world and how I have defined a unique Van "Everything arises from the mind" and "Everyday is another page of the interesting journey book, which we learn through an interesting life"

The challenge or the change?

I am looking to settle down my life in Australia. I am sick and tired of not be able to stick to one commitment...

The problematic thought caused from today conversation with my manager. I have been thinking quite a while for my part time job. At the moment the minimum hours becomes the maximum hours as indication that my work could not pay me more than that, which is totally opposite to what I have thought. I was very confident that the project could and should carry on more works, generate more activities and so on for every one, to benefit the community.

That is fine for the whole picture but for my life, self-ishly, I can not say any words as I would not be able to save any cents, cover all expenses as the way my lifestyle is now.

What is the point? I don't know, conflicts between self-awareness and favours for the others. I am totally putting my mind in a catch 22 situation. or I just complicate my own judgement. I remember when I first stepped into Australian land, I was very ambitious and rocking on my career focus, working hard and deal with every challenges to gain as much experience as possible. The journey is long and continuous. I am still suffering with all different issues, some are still as same as before, but some are different. My philosophy about world changes and is more open than before. However, some times I do feel I have a lot more conflicts in my own thinking.

The journey of finding a good job that you like to work on, it makes you happy and you earn enough money to survive a happy life is incredibly challenged, difficult and invaluable.

The world of drunken fig.

The world of drunken figs is in South Australia, where is travelling north in about 2 hours, where the wineries are surrounded with a lot of delicacy, amazing food, amazing views. I have had spent about 3 days at Clare in mid May 2012. The town has embraced a fantastic gourmet weekend which is a 2 days full of wine, food and entertainment for everyone. 

My friend is staying at Clare for his work. Catching up with him was a nice experience, where we had an amazing, and for me the "very first time" long table dinner with 6 courses meal and matching wines. That was the first time when I have had drunken figs. 

 The warmness and kindness of this land has given me one of the most memoriable experience. I have had really good time, when I lied down on the pier at the beach, and it was so nice to look at the beautiful sky, where there was not a ugly cloud, hiding anything.

Yummy cupcakes

Lamb loin with herbs roasted.

 Back to Adelaide after a few days, I have learnt that life is so short. Hard to realise something so much valuable around, the experience is not easy to find. Life can be a pig, where two children tried to pull it tails and its ears but did not realise that the pig couldn't change any thing... Simply "life" is hard.

Welcome back to the VQT*

Departed Sydney on a Jetstar flight to Adelaide last week, I have immersed myself in a beautiful city with a magnificent view of the background, where I can see the hills, the mountains far-over just behind the buildings. Got into town around noon, I have had a chance to check the city out. That attractive view leaded my walking trail from road to road... and losed myself in a whole new world with autumnal leaves on the street... The city spoiled itself with a lot of sweet brownie and hearty leaves... through its' crunchy. I do love the feeling of walking on these streets.

This is my second time visiting Adelaide. I have been there in July 2009. There isn't much changing in that little city. In fact, it is much more beautiful than last time I have visited. Thank you my mate Marc for hosting partly my trip over there as I have made myself down under to South Australia for a Gourmet Weekend in Clare Valley. I have had spent about 4 days in central for just 'cruising'. It is a whole new experience, certainly, differed to any other previous holiday where I had to be worried a bit about the budget. This trip I freed my mind with a litte treat for myself. A real 'get away holiday'. Resource from Wikipedia stated that the city named in honour of Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, queen consort to King William IV, the city was founded in 1836 as the planned capital for a freely settled British province in Australia. Colonel William Light, one of Adelaide's founding fathers, designed the city and chose its location close to the River Torrens in the area originally inhabited by the Kaurna people. Light's design set out Adelaide in a grid layout, interspaced by wide boulevards and large public squares, and entirely surrounded by parkland. Early Adelaide was shaped by religious freedom and a commitment to political progressivism and civil liberties, which led to the moniker "City of Churches".

With just a bit more than one mil of people in this city of churches. I have felt a bit emptiness on some of the streets. But in fact, this has created a uniquely but adequately attraction to any visitors. Even Glenelg Beach in Adelaide, which is one of the famous beach about 30 minutes on the tram to the west, has just a few beach goers. Which was quite disappointed for me to make a whole morning, travelled there and didn't see much.

However, Jetty road amused me a little bit with its shops and lovely cafe where I got my beautiful Granula for the first time. This road is very different to any places I have been to in Australia. It doesn't remind about Melbourne where trams across everywhere or Sydney with so many people. Quite a peaceful suburb with shops, just quite enough to hear the noice from the pub around the corner of the road, but also busy enough to get the tram run up and down the road.

The cafe was just off the road - in one of many other roads cut the Jetty road. This cafe has a very large wall-window, so from the main road I could find it hidden. I walked inside, ordered a home-made granula with organic yogurt, serve with berries, fruits, topped with chocolate and fresh mint. The flavour of this morning is a bit sour, not really a creamy type of dish or sweet eventually. I think it would not get a lot of fans. For me, I could top up my stomach with it and feel like I have tried at least once. The perfection of all fresh ingredient actually won my taste.

Wondering around a sandy beach in a cold day couldn't beat a romantic and 'glossy' walk in the botanic garden. I am a huge fan of parks. As I have travelled around the down under country, I have visited a couple of Royal Botanic Garden around and may do another blog on other days to show some of the pictures I have had. But for the best autumn experiences I have ever had in a park. Adelaide Botanic Garden has given me such a sensational feeling when I cruised on my hired bike from the local council. Even the gardener stopped me (as no riding bike allowed in the park). I have not hated him just for a second. Simply, the trees and the flowers are fruity and all over the branches... The colour is just stunning and the light is epic. And those have already taken my heart and my mind away.

For now, I will stop. And the next blog I will write about...

* = VQT means "Very Quite Town"...

Planting a tree or two

I went out to Warwick farm yesterday and joined a volunteer group at Liverpool-Fairfield for a planting tree day. We met at 9am at Jacqui Osmond Reserve which is in the middle of Warwick Farm and Cabramatta stations. This bush land is a hidden place with not much things around, except a softball centre next to it. Even though it is quite separate areas. I have come along. With Atif and we did all planting, digging holes, get the plants out of their pots, put in the hole and put all the beautiful brownny soil back to the bottom of the plants.

I felt extremely great and so happy when I dig the soil and seen there are so much diversity under ground, the earth worms, ants, little spiders... This beautiful soil is so soft and smooth. This good soil to help those plants grown.

A good activity to do on a weekend! Not meaning to save the earth or anything... ;)

Randomly picture

Nothing I could write today... Just a random picture I made from 3 different theme time...

What do we think first ? Sex or love?

Hi all. I should have written more in this blog. And fix the whole out-look more appealling, it sounds more marketing, more promotional but in fact, I do want to learn how to write and present better pieces of thought. Two nights ago, I watched Insight on SBS and there was a discussion honestly, straight-forward, openly about pornography and how it was important to talk openly within family, education context. That was extremely interesting and I got fascinated how people can be unsure of what they perceive every days through media... The fundamental difference between sex and love is the chemistry people can feel toward each others. If it was purely sexually contact, there is no love. This is a basic and I think I have known this very well before. However, I didn't keep the mentality on-going and pretty much let it gone away. Love, Sex arenot counted in a same currency. Even though there is a link but definitely for me, myself, I have to tell that I can put them together in a same scale. What is about you? Have you ever thought so? What love means to you and why is it important for us to find one?

I watch this video last night, it was very sad. and yeah I was nearly cried. But at the end, I was like thinking the drama was caused by the guy in the video, his choice is to left behind the love one, the family and everything without empathy. It was more like self-fish, leaving the one behind in sadness, tears and the love he offers. In these days, we hardly find anyone respecfully, faithful and honestly to the world around. So what is actually the value people have and what people want to share in our life? This question is never answered, I guess.