the adventures of pinkaholic girl

angel tube stunt

To everyone I know who lives and works at angel, watch out for people who do this.

posted by d @ 10:17 am 2 comments

part time nerd

You know what I don't get? People who read programming books in their spare time. I happened to come across this blog post and got a little bit scared that the guy is reading three nerdy books at the same time. Three! I'm not sure which one of us is the odd one - me, who likes programming but leaves the geekiness at work, or he, the fully immersed nerd.

I am not a full time nerd. I don't read blogs (which is probably bad), I didn't know what WPF was until I read it in a job description and was forced to google it (tip: if you had to click on the link to learn what it was, then you're not a full time nerd either), and when people make jokes about nerds in the software community, I don't laugh because I don't know who they are.

Yeah, ok, I have Visual Studio installed on my laptop. But I only did it out of necessity of needing something to program with while researching stuff for interviews. I don't actually use it to build anything useful... Except maybe Cameron's buggy competition generator that eventually got me swearing at whole new levels when it wouldn't run like it was supposed to.

The irony is I'm still classified as a nerd by people. Nerdy people call me a nerd! it happened just yesterday. I don't think it's fair that I, the part time nerd, can be painted with the same brush as the guy reading three nerdy books in his spare time (n.b. if you the reader are actually the nerdy guy who is reading this through referral links, then please don't be offended because I'm not doubting your ability at all, you just happened to become my example. I totally respect all the work that you and your kind do. Go Microsoft.)

I think I'm just feeling a bout of nerd insecurity, like I ought to be doing more to earn my nerd title (and possibly also land a job. That could be useful.) I know as soon as I get a job though, I'm going to fall back to my non-nerdy ways of watching downloaded TV episodes with a mug of tea and some impulse-buy M&S chocolate muffins.

God I can't believe I've posted three things today. Clearly, I'm having a busy busy day. But hey, if you're a nerd and you are reading this, if you have any good blogs out there that I might be interested in reading, post them would ya? :)

posted by d @ 8:08 pm 2 comments

wow, that was embarrassing

I had a lunch with the people from my old work today.One of my colleagues mentioned that they were having lunch at one of our old haunts and I agreed to go to surprise everyone, because my busy busy schedule of being unemployed had some scope for lunch. And it would be cool to see these people again.

Anyway. I turned up at this place and there were twenty people there, including some managers and other people I sort-of-knew-but-not-really. I'd crashed the farewell lunch of one of the guys who was moving up north. Oh god. I was only expecting 3 people to be there! I now also looked like a desperate loser because I have no job and I'd come to have lunch with all these people who did have jobs and it was almost like I'd thrown myself into their path just "by chance" and coincidentally, did they have any work available?

argh. how embarrassing.

posted by d @ 4:20 pm 0 comments

victories of a small nature

A little while ago I received an email from the recruiter that screwed me over on the first contract I got in the UK. I did a double-take at first; I thought we had pretty much agreed that he was a slimeball. But no, my eyes were seeing correctly and he had actually sent me an email asking my availability for a new contract.

There was split-second indecision while I contemplated how to respond. Should I ignore his email? Did he really think I was going to go for this contract? Should I write back and clarify that I'd rather embrace a career in sewage recycling WITHOUT SHAMPOO than talk to him again?

Hmm. What to do? Well, while I'd been thinking, my mouse cursor had gravitated towards the buttons at the top of my email client. It paused over one particular button, almost a suggestion, just a little hesitant, seeing how I would react. It was an interesting choice. Should I? Would it be right? It seemed a little mean.

Who cares... If recruiters don't have morals, I don't need to either.

I clicked.

With one simple action I classified all future emails from this person as "spam". I can only hope the spam works universally across gmail and he can never email anyone else properly again.

posted by d @ 11:32 am 0 comments

quiz nerd heaven

http://www.quiz-zone.co.uk/

Browse all quizzes and go for the excel ones.

So far I've got 48/100 on the cartoon quiz (with 7 "close") and a miserable 23/100 on the music video clip quiz, but I've never really been into music videos so that's my excuse. :)

posted by d @ 4:34 pm 0 comments

too funny

hee hee!

I just did a BrainBench certification test in ASP.NET because a recruiter asked me to do it. The recruiters have asked me to do the BrainBench tests before; it gives them an indication of whether candidates actually know the technologies they're trying to get a job in (and thus how much they can market you to get as much money out of you as possible!)

You can actually use online resources, so google comes in very handy while you take the test.

Now, I spent 3 years doing all winforms, all C#, all the time. I've had about 3 months working in ASP.NET... yet I scored higher in the ASP.NET test than I did in c# last year. In fact, I apparently scored better than 98% of other candidates and have NO weak areas in this technology at all. I had to google at least three quarters of the questions and guestimated half the answers.

TOO FUNNY!

posted by d @ 10:52 pm 0 comments

I want a diplomatic bag too!

So, I'm back in the UK. Crappy weather has followed me - a week ago it was sunny and 15 degrees, now it's cold and windy and puffy coat territory again.

The leadup to my flight from Tokyo to London was pretty cool. I had spare yen, so I spent some time wandering around shops and contemplating last minute souvenirs (I bought a pink Hello Kitty banner thing for the hell of it), then got through immigration and realised I should've spent my money on duty free cosmetics. Heh.

While I was checking in, I saw two hot english guys carrying giant white canvas bags, kinda like mailbags, with "HRM Diplomatic Bag" written on the side in thick black letters. They looked like props for an old 1940's movie that a bank robber might carry out of a bank with a giant dollar sign printed on the side. I found out later that they get to travel in Business or First Class as well, which means that I think being a diplomat is going to be my new ambition. Especially if I get to carry bags with "HRM Diplomatic Bag" written on the side of it. (Isn't it kind of defeating the purpose if you're drawing attention to yourself that way? won't people then be tempted to steal the contents of your diplomatic bag than if it was going incognito? If I was being paid to steal their stuff it would certainly make my job easier.)

Anyway, this got me thinking: what can a guy who already has an english accent AND is attractive possibly do to get any better?

- Have a diplomatic passport. (the guys on the plane were totally sorted.)
- Get flight discounts with a major airline.
- Own Ken's house. Or Pete's house.
- Get the freebies that Robbie's job delivers - DVD boxed sets, concert tickets, movie screenings, CDs... jealousy!
- Work at Pixar. Or Google.
- Own a tropical island with a bungalow over the water. And a boat to go with it, so we don't have to swim to and from the bungalow all the time...

Best bonus of the flight(s) to and from japan was that I had a spare seat next to me each time. Flying on weekdays is the key to victory!

posted by d @ 10:08 pm 1 comments

seven months of daylight savings!

ohmygod, I just discovered that UK daylight savings lasts until the end of October. That's seven months of continually happy happy warm warm sunlight. It's like getting all sorts of birthday presents at once - you can't buy that kind of joy off the shelf!

posted by d @ 9:45 am 1 comments

it seemed like a good idea at the time...

I had dinner with some ex-work folk last night.

I think this photo just about sums it up.

posted by d @ 12:27 am 0 comments

currency luck

It's the phenomenon whereby you are about to embark overseas, and the currency you need on the other side goes up in your favour by 10%, then plummets once you have exchanged your money, leaving everyone else crying about their sucky exchange rates.

I have terrible currency luck. Last year just before I headed off to Canada, the Canadian dollar was at 0.91 a few weeks before I left. But when I actually went to convert my dollars into Canadian ones, the exchange rate was at 0.86.

Now, the Yen is at 90. If I'd been clever and exchanged my money last week, I'd have gotten 95. That'll learn me.

posted by d @ 1:01 pm 0 comments

north shore soccer mom

I got some great practice at being a North Shore Soccer Mom today. I started with some light morning exercise, went shopping, then got a french manicure and pedicure which was a fun new experience, hehe. If only I had some other north shore soccer moms to meet for a brunch or lunch after a yoga or pilates class and just before picking the kids up from school, i'd be all set.

I can't wait till I'm a millionaire and then I'll buy one those super massage chairs and foot spa all-in-one things. Or maybe I'll just add a pedicurist to my house staff.

posted by d @ 11:57 am 2 comments

the photo project

I've been taking a photo a day for a week so far (yesss! only 358 to go!) but already I can see I'm going to have problems.

a) I always, always have more photos that I want to put into the album

b) Sometimes I want to change the photo, which kinda defeats the purpose :p

I know other people doing the project have been "rationing" their photo subjects over several days to keep things going, and I've already started doing it too. I had a great photo of my dog taken on the same day as a run on the beach, but I really like the symmetry of this photo so it won. I'm going to attempt to take more photos of the dog on another day when I don't have anything interesting up my sleeve. :)

Here's one I took yesterday that was contending for the honour, but in the end Eugenia's Shoes won because i love the label... and I did, in fairness, spend a large chunk of the day shoe shopping. hehe.

posted by d @ 1:46 am 0 comments

degree of maintainability

I was called high maintenance for the first time in my life yesterday. It made me laugh because I don't think I am... but just for a totally impartial second opinion, I took this very reputable and thorough scientific test to prove it once and for all.

The verdict? I am MEDIUM MAINTENANCE. In your FACE!

You Are Medium Maintenance

You aren't as hard to deal with as some girls But you aren't the most laid back chick either You're easy to deal with 90% of the time, but watch out for that 10%! If the guy you are with has good intentions, then calm down a little But if he's really screwing up, don't waste your breath - move on :-)

Seriously, if there was one of those blood tests or something that would tell you your degree of maintainability beforehand, it'd make everyone's life easier. You just take it when you're a kid, and you know for the rest of your life, and it could be one of those things you discuss with people over the first date dinner:

"yeah, my maintainability is high, but my predisposition for shoes is in the low-medium range which I think makes up for it, don't you? How did you score on accepting directions from strangers?"

posted by d @ 10:06 am 0 comments

"30 dollars is a small price to pay to not be an ant"

So I won't be an ant in my next life. This is my consolation for opening my mouth while shopping today, hehe. I could have bought something for $30, but stupidly asked "oh, is that for the both of them?" and doubled the cost to $60 (not that I should be complaining, because I thought it was going to cost me $90 in the first place!)

Anyway the funny thing was I think the guy at the counter was actually trying to help me not pay the full price, so I did the deed all by myself!

In other musings, why is it that a hot pair of jeans is naturally the ones giving you the worst muffin top effect? And is it still wrong to buy them anyway?

p.s. thanks to B. for the quote! ;)

posted by d @ 11:06 am 0 comments

25

I'm now 25! It's been a very mellow and low-key season of celebration - like having a two week party instead of one night of hectic festivities.

It's been really great catching up with people like the St Georgians and Alison's crew, and lots of friends from the old workplace. There has been much brunching and dining and a wee bit of shopping in between :) The weather was a bit uncooperative when I landed, but it fined up yesterday, and today was just gorgeous.

I've been eating lots of food and soaking up some views along various beaches so far (Saturday - Coogee; Monday - Balmoral; Tuesday - Cronulla; Wednesday - Freshwater). Went up for a day trip to the Hunter Valley today with Cam, Bunny and Khanh which was lots of fun - got to play some games on the wii as well! and I think Cam & I will be driving down to seven mile beach sometime next week.

I'm going to try my hand at a photography project, taking a photo a day for a year. I was meant to start on my 25th birthday but forgot :p hehe. I think it'll be an interesting experience and give me an excuse to whip out my camera more frequently since I carry it around with me almost everywhere anyway!

I'm immensely glad that things turned out the way they did and I could come home to Australia for my birthday. I'm sure if I'd been in London I wouldn't have made the time to reflect on stuff in general or appreciate everything that's happened in the past year.

I feel like I've got lots more to say, but I have drafts of 4 or 5 posts since I've been in Australia that keep getting interrupted/not finished due to laziness, so I'm determined to let this one see the light of day regardless of completion :) Hope you're all having a good time and stay safe!

posted by d @ 2:29 pm 2 comments