ADELAIDE IN & OUT...

Moving to Workpress

2009-05-23T04:28:00.000-07:00

Why - because no one wears the same shoes all year round...so the new link is
http://www.hadiishak.wordpress.com/...
I am hoping that Wordpress will be just as User Friendly.
See you guys there!!!

The week that was...

2009-05-21T18:23:00.001-07:00

The good thing about the week is that I have succeeded in clearing all the backlog due to being away on business these couple of weeks and have accomplished what I set out for myself on Monday 3 out of 3. I am exhausted but I think I can now have a good night's sleep.

My latest distraction : Tom Boys and whether you have to be a Man to succeed in the Big world was the result of a recent philosophical conflict with people who seem to 'Know it All' including the meaning of life.

I have also been recalling various TV shows depicting women in suits behaving like Men - not just the physical manifestation but also their outlook in general. One thing that I have discovered is that people tend to 'gang' up when they are most vulnerable - surviving on the support of a group rather than standing on their own two feet. Strength requires character and is built on pain and hardship - happiness alone does not build experience, experience is what gives us strength.

The sad thing about this human affliction is that it shares no loyalty. When it comes to the crunch, people will sell you out. And when it comes to jobs, they are numero uno no matter how well you've 'ganged' up at one point in time or how you've shared birthday's in the office or that cocktail party where everyone got drunk and stupid.

So I guess what I am saying is that you should always keep your head screwed on right, rely on the REAL you and not what people want you to be but most importantly refrain from 'stealing' identities which are not your own because you will only do yourself a huge injustice and much like VIAGRA, it is only an illusion for those that have missed the bus in the 1st place.

The Weekend that was...

2009-05-08T17:26:00.000-07:00

Here I am sitting in the lounge - boarding in about 15 minutes and another 2 hours to Adelaide from Sydney.

Yes I do not go out very often...I did the going out bit eons ago and is now more than happy to sit at home and chill. I do love my dancing but only if I feel that the people around me are as enthusiastic.

Thanks to Jules and Ross for taking care of me last night. I am not the social butterfly everyone thinks I am - more often I prefer to take a step back and observe what's happening around me. Mating, courting and copulating is not in the agenda - maybe I am a window shopper @ heart.

Not too sure when I will be back to Sydney but hopefully in 2009. WA and Qld is calling - who knows. At this stage I am just so spent from all the travelling - I am not made to lug bags around.

But thank you once again to my friends Keiran, Ross and Jules (*MUAH*) for the past 2 weeks. And Jules - the answer is YES but I am pretty harmless.

Ciao Guys!!

Go Carrie!!

2009-05-06T03:07:00.000-07:00

Mr. Pussy!!
The man with 2 faces
The man who steals cheap books for no apparent reasons.
Are all men freaks??

I am a fan!!!

Back from Sydney and Off Again

2009-05-04T19:22:00.000-07:00

The last 8 nights were spent in Sydney - catching up with Friends new and old. I did enjoy myself but felt extremely tired. I guess my brains went on overdrive and it has been a while...what a terrible excuse.

So tomorrow I am off againt to Sydney. Hoping to catch up with Andrew, Jules, Keiran and Ross if time permits but it is a busy week ahead.

I have posted my recent pics on FLICKR on the China trip - check them out as they are pretty cool now that I know my camera a bit better.

Have a great week guys and stop to smell the roses once a while.

Doing whatever it takes to get ahead

2009-04-23T15:47:00.000-07:00

Maybe I was never brought up that way but I believe in certain cultural and social demographics, this approach is quite acceptable. I, on the other hand have very little respect for individuals that adopt this mantra and live lives as 'time pleasers' aka with yellow stockings ala some Shakespearian play.

It was told to me that the survival instinct of individuals and how they've lived oppressed lives in their home country have made them the way they are. The need to make it and if it takes deception, deceit etc. then they believe that it is a necessary evil.

Recently, an argument came up about the war and how people are not responsible for the atrocities that they've committed while 'under the influence' and in fear of their own lives; absolution vs. basic universal values of bad and good. Is there really a fine balance or is it an easy options to ease the burden of guilt, one may ask?

I am of one mind that man's journey is be 'exceptionally' exceptional. What I mean by that is that one should strive to live by the principles that they hold true; your life's journey notwithstanding the pressure of MAN - what I mean by MAN is that of the human construct. Not one that is predetermined by LANGUAGE but the essence/foundation of being. Language only goes so far to explain our actions at the best of times but some I feel may understand what the implications are - it is not some mindless existentialist gibberish.

What I really mean, in my little humble world, is that need to find that path to self-actualisation. Understanding the limitations of self before others, the strengths and weaknesses of your basic principles which are often tarnished by experiences (Blake was so apt to point this out) but also to finally return to a place of understanding and to accept imperfections as 'truth'. I don't know how to explain this but I guess part of the process is believing that criticism is part and parcel of the learning cycle but also to stand up for what you believe in is just as important and not let everyone walk over what you hold dear when it comes to the crunch. Understand the duality of Truth; opportunities = liabilities and vice-versa.

To my friends, I hope that you understand that life is a journey worth taking and sometimes a moment is all that it takes to comprehend the true nature of Living. Never do whatever it takes to get ahead but always do the right thing by your principles and values because without it, the common man will always remain a common denominator. Never live off someone's else's miseries and one day someone will find you and save you from whatever it is that you fear; that you are not a mere number in the scheme of perpetual motion! There is such a thing as love.

The end of the trip...

2009-04-18T06:55:00.000-07:00

I am currently waiting for the plane... The most annoying bit about living in Australia is that most of your flights are usually at some god forsaken hour. The trip was very tiring and the last day in Hong Kong was a wet one albiet looking at junya watanabe and commes DES garçon which made me cry..the other half got lucky and finally owns a leather and suede burberry jacket and he is still complaining when he's not paying for it - sometimes I wonder!! I think it makes him look swanky but he thinks it is too Euro trash...oh well one can only try. The next Burberry is mine!

On a good note ... I got myself some real nice gear for the trip to Sydney. I can't tell you how exhausted I am but I am so glad to be going home and seeing the boys. Hong kong airport doesn't allow yahoo and facebook so I can't get my email either... I dread the thought of what's been going on at work but it should be fine. I have a meeting to arrange and a project plan to put in place + request for funding.

That is next week but for now I just need to get on the plane and get home in one piece...and my bed!!

The Trip - The Trip

2009-03-31T19:03:00.000-07:00

Just a couple more days and I am off on a jet plane - note that I will not 'break into song'. I really need the break and it will be good to be out of town for a while.

Really enjoying Bioshock and Rapture. There are very few games that I enjoy but this one is pretty smart - having extraordinary powers are also very cool. It is a game for big kids I guess. Deep down inside I am not the sadistic maniac everyone thinks I am just a little bipolar.

Also listenting to Diana Krall's latest album Quiet Nights. Predictable but the arrangements are refreshing.

I turn a year older this Saturday and I am blessed for many things. Some of my new found friends Kevin, Andrew and Keiran whom I believe are honest people that I can connect with. Indra who is still holding out especially after his 2nd remission. My other half - for putting up with my crap and I am still alive after all these years.

I wish I could wave my wand - I want my friends to be happy and I truly hope that they are. You can have some of my joy, the little that I have to give if you like. I should be in Sydney soon so will be able to catch up with Andrew and Keiran for YUM CHA! Kevin October is already set in stone and I will see you in NY.

I obviously am desperate for some R&R, you think?!

PS. Keiran thank you for my birthday wish. For that you get the obligatory hugs and kisses!

Huh?

2009-03-18T21:02:00.000-07:00

My day has been awful a visit to the dentist included...the pump is hard at work so that I can exhale, the headache is getting more unbearable and then there is the neverending office move that no one told me about causing me to go into respiratory attack. Wonder who invented dust?
I definitely need to get well before I leave for my vacation - the mouth trauma is also getting unbearable.

I am still listening to the Killers which is growing on me. Sadly I have also bought Taylor Swift out of ignorance but Madeline Peyroux Bare Bones is still not convincing me to leave it on my iPod?

As for American Idol, I am voting for Danny Gokey - he will be in the top 2. I am also biased...

I am also enjoying Bioshock - surprisingly no bizarre headaches. Maybe because it is so macabre i.e. Little Sisters, Big Daddies etc.

We see how we go this week. I have the Festival tomorrow night - hopefully Adam Hill is going to be funny or I want my money back.

I need to lie down.

Doing it right!

2009-03-16T15:35:00.000-07:00

My whinge today relate to 3 words Corporate Governance, Centralisation and Free Enterprise. I guess we shall not dwell on the details.

Nonetheless it is 3 weeks to the holidays and I am looking forward to getting away and unwinding. People test my patience and maybe I am turning into a grump...dishonest people even more.

To keep me sane, I am listening to these:

Same old Madeline...

not so new Killers.

Oh well - this week I predict is going to be very trying indeed.

What I've been up to...

2009-03-11T03:02:00.000-07:00

The China trip is all organised and the many stopover hotels are now booked. We are being a little more adventurous this time - so the trip will see us on an overnight sleeper train and cycle through old city walls away from the hustle and bustle of Beijing with a side trip to the Venice of China.

It will be different this time around and I am hard at work brushing up on my Mandarin. Nicholas can do the reading and I can do the talking. This arrangement seems to have worked the last time so I am crossing my fingers - some parts of the countryside will speak no English at all and not being around native speakers will take some time to get used to the lingo.

The Adelaide Festival is in full swing though and I have gone to a couple including sitting through VESPERS @ St Peters, FRENTE, the Mad and Ugly show yesterday - but this weekend will be in Melbourne for work and some retail therapy. The fringe can draw some real mediocre stuff but that's the beauty of it all -keeping it real.

I miss my bed desperately tonight - the comfort of the hotel room has never been attractive and I am never keen on travelling for work but the people today was exceptional and training them felt more didactic than mere indulgence. It's good to know that you can make a difference no matter how small your contribution is. At least the linen is Egyptian and I get to choose the hardness of my pillow, wagyu beef, oysters and Cabernet Sauvignon to ease the separation anxiety.

This year's other goal is to be less judgemental but alas it is hard to trust anyone especially when what they say is never what they mean or seeing them become the person that they detest so detest as they get older. If you really love someone move, make a change - it is not a compromise but a commitment. That's the trouble with Asians - we are so gullible and westerners are just too selfish - so who's going to make the 1st move in the end?

My Latest Distraction

2009-02-25T13:44:00.001-08:00

Finally got into it and I am learning how to cast spells, repair weapons, eat and sleep...how exciting! PS3 is so much better...

Cynical Philanthropy

2009-02-18T18:57:00.000-08:00

There are emails going around, much like the bushfire in Melbourne about donating money to the red cross. Calamity driven generosity is a hype - if you really are generous, it shouldn't take a bushfire to start giving. Giving is about living it not basking in it.

Try something closer to home - say Hi to your neighbours, bake a cake and cross the road for once to appreciate the act of giving, be considerate to others and most of all give when you are not held at gunpoint in fear of people knowing the real you don't really care much for fanfare.

Lives lost crosses all boundaries - parochialism doesn't. Honestly people does it take that much to return to the basic human instinct or is it easier to close a blind eye when it is convenient!!

I am cynical and I don't pretend otherwise...

My latest distractions

2009-02-05T17:51:00.001-08:00

So Okay, its a new album but the sound is so 80s...not too sure whether Ms. Allen was trying to achieve the retro funk sound but I guess it will also sound good on the dance floor with loads of Bass and Drum then it wouldn't matter.

Shameless I have been reading Twilight - very juvenile but an easy read...maybe I am going through a midlife crisis?

I am currently, thanks to the hubby, loving the Molton Brown gift pack I received for Christmas.

So in a fortnight, I am off to Frente + the Adelaide Fringe Festival is on ... off to get tickets and lunching at the wineries...I am so looking forward to just get away from the office.

Rarely Posting These Days...

2009-01-28T15:12:00.000-08:00

I have decided to do a fortnightly post as life in general is getting a little hectic.

Did spend the Australia Day weekend in Sydney - ate far too much again and now back on a diet. How awful is that. I should be fine by April for the silk route...hmmm....holiday....hmmmmmm...can you see me drooling again!

Here's a pic of Sydney.

My latest Distractions....

2009-01-05T19:25:00.001-08:00

XMen Origins - Wolverine

2008-12-29T21:07:00.000-08:00

X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE HD

Wonder Woman - I am a fan (Marvel)

2008-12-21T17:44:00.001-08:00

God it has been awhile

2008-12-02T22:55:00.000-08:00

So many things have happened - I have 2 more workdays before I am off for my holidays. Contemplating closing this blog out and concentrating on just taking pictures for my sanity.

Still want to see Jules in Sydney and go picture taking. Still want to catch up with Andrew and Scott again for drinks at the Flinders. Still want to see Kevin in 2009. Still want to see how Keiran will get on with D in January. Still hoping to find the ultimate job that will make me happy = more money is icing on the cake. Still want everyone in the world to find happiness. Still hoping that everyone just grow up. Wish I could stop the world for a moment and just be still and enlighten the world that if the world ceased to exists today - does anything matter? Cognitive?

I am soooo tired...

Wish I could....

2008-10-29T14:00:00.001-07:00

Just stop for a moment and be transported to meet:

Andrew
Kevin
Duane
Keiran

and run away for the weekend without having to think about work and the falling Australian dollar.

Counting down the days - 4 weeks to another holiday. Just changed some US dollars and the Aussie currently is at its worst i.e. 0.59. Thank God we changed some cash when it was in the 0.9s. Oh well - let's see what happens in another 12 months.

The LA-MEXICO-NY leg is booked for Oct 09 and waiting on just the returned flight. I am counting how many leave days I need. Might be able to spend some time in LA or Washington. Alas it all depends.

I've missed writing on my blog but work have taken at least a year from me for the past couple of weeks.

WALTZ Koop ....hmmm D we should meet sometime - maybe in another life? Who knows?
Don't work too hard Kevin - it should be Halloween Parade weekend.
Andrew - I'll see you in a fortnight... I might be able to spend a night in the mountains!
Keiran - Thai dinner and a glass of Pinot!

Signing off for another laborious day of not frolicking! What am I doing?

KOOP ISLAND - Something I came across...

2008-10-01T16:28:00.000-07:00

Very Parisienne...

Closer to the holidays...almost there!

2008-09-11T16:52:00.001-07:00

The holidays are just around the corner again. It is Friday and there are a lot of things to do. The Saturday will be spend at the Royal Show – we go there twice each year in anticipation of finally sitting in the arena to watch the fireworks display up close at 9pm.
The final night of the show has a very somber feeling to it and I find that ‘warmth’ endearing; like knowing that you’ve done a great job and it is time to go home.

I am also happy to see the farmers smiling again and the beautiful horses. Like my boys, I now understand how you can fall in love with such beauty. I am not a conservationist or pro Green but I am delighted that they are back this year with a vengeance.

Sunday is Spring Cleaning day and washing the boys as it will be a sunny day undoubtedly. Then there is the washing and the packing to do. I really need this vacation.

To my friend from far away – have a great trip home and may Barcelona be a good step moving forward. I wish you the very best mate and I will ring you.

Mike Rowe

2008-09-10T19:37:00.001-07:00

My latest distraction. The voice - the voice!!!

Hellboy? Hell NO!

2008-09-10T19:28:00.000-07:00

What can I say…Del Toro you need to get back to your roots. I was disappointed to say the least and the only thing that made it all better was the frozen coke. There were a couple of creatures that were interesting, ala Pan’s Labyrinth but everything else was all over the place. I give this two and half stars…maybe I was just too tired.

Alas my good sir...

2008-09-10T00:16:00.000-07:00

You see the great thing about reflection is that you can attribute the ‘adjectives’ sprouting out of your consciousness to the most nonsensical thing you can imagine and still make it sound fantastic…rocket science stuff when it is only a push bike analogy. The moment gets to you and you are bedazzled - very Jane Austen.

I had a rather confused moment where I reflected on a flawed emotion in my previous post. It was not as much purely fancy-foolish but rather unrealistic expectations – the affects of alcohol and an over-enthused little squirt. Expectations are what drive some people as an elixir to youthful beauty but maybe I am just too old for elixirs and by the way, I hate driving cheap knock-offs.

So “You Know Who You Are” – someone once stopped me in the middle of a mall and said that he knew me in a previous life. I understood him in a way and I felt a sudden dread that if it didn’t happen in that life why should it happen now - no matter how attractive and overwhelming the moment was.

We come across so many people in our lives but there are those that we connect with – soul mates are over-rated especially when it is complicated by too many variables. Let's be mates instead and I will see you soon - you still owe me that cup of coffee by the park in East London and I will bring Chamomile.