Sunday, November 20, 2005

R/E Agents, Feel My Wrath...

The following is a letter I'm sending to Consumer Affairs Victoria, as well as to my real estate agent as part of the notice I'm serving them for their breach of duty. It's extremely thorough & clinical, and I would recommend that you didn't read it unless you've read all the other blogs in the world, or perhaps you wanna see if your rights may have been infringed in a similar way.

The plain incompetence of the real estate agency I am unfortunately attached to until the end of my tenancy lease in December, is monumentally baffling. Thank GOD I'm moving into my own place soon!

Click at own will:
http://jonihayashi.multiply.com/journal/item/1

Friday, November 18, 2005

Crashing into the Weekend

Oh gosh.

What a week.

As my homecoming countdown glides carefreely to 6 days, I’m inversely increasing time spent at work, turbo-charging concentration levels, and recruiting an inner-motivational captain who can give me that gentle nudge I need: “KEEP GOING!! Hup, two, three, four...Slaughter that project!...Kill it good!... What's this!? You want a tea-break? A TEA-BREAK!!? Ooo... prissy Joni wants a teeee-break... would you like a slice of cheesecake with that? GET BACK TO WORK!!"

So I do. And when I get home, I'm too tired to eat. Missed dinner the past three nights. Too much excess adrenalin to wind down. Can't sleep. Wake up bleary-eyed the next morning, an hour and a half earlier than I usually do, and without time to compose myself, or ponder over life questions, or watch the morning cartoons, the Captain's already standing by the door ushering me out.

Yesterday after completing the last word on the executive summary to my 18-page project report, I organised an official meeting with product managers this afternoon, and presented my blood in a wooden bowl carved with my bare hands. I mean... the results of my work over this three-month period. The entire report and presentation was my own initiation, because the Captain says: "Bowl them over and earn your ticket, and right, to go home".

Relieved to say the presentation and report were well-received, and I've earned two weeks in Melbourne! Yatta!! I did, however, against all personal logic and reasoning, recommend myself to return to Brisbane for one more week after that to absolutely finalise everything, and to farewell my baby, the project with which I've had a love-hate relationship. Ironically I'm already feeling attached to it, but no worries, i'll be slapped out of it easy when I remind myself of days like these.

Said i'll never talk about work. I lied.

Monday, November 14, 2005

...And She Kept On Painting


Here it is. The full and short version of my Sunday.


Painting. On the balcony. Sunny arvo.


Maybe years from now, they'll be saying, "wow, it's a Joni", but for now, I doubt I'll be quitting my dayjob anytime soon. ^_^


*practice practice practice!*

Sunday, November 13, 2005

A Salad Kinda Life

A salad's pretty boring. A cold dish. Then again, it's a varied dish - vegetables tossed with other assorted ingredients. Served with dressing, even! So i guess you could say it's quite...fanciful.

I'd like to call upon this moment of my life as being a bit of a salad. I can't decide which side of the bowl i want to eat from.

On one hand, i'm so totally over Brisbane. I spent all weekend at home, short of doing some grocery shopping. It's my alternate weekly turn to cook for Mars this Tuesday, and he requests Malaysian food! In a city of chips, burgers and chips, it's virtually impossible to find anchovies, banana leaf and pickles for a nasi lemak. Oh well, he's Greek - what'll he know!? I'll be none the wiser when i ask for Grecian food next week!

Spent the rest of the weekend painting. My 2nd canvas is done - still amateur-ish, but I like it.

There's nothing else here. I'm bored and uninspired. I'm a cold salad.

*flip the bowl round to the other side*

Zoom out, and suddenly I can't keep up!

Two weekends ago, Gav visited, and turned Brisbane into a state-sized theme park! Queensland was marvellous, for the first time! Life was a holiday, everything was made of chocolate, chips were not fattening.

Last week, I was back in Melbourne for the weekend, courtesy of the company, and pretty much jumped from a plane into a club. Partied. Woke up the next day for a wedding ceremony and gorgeous reception, danced by candlelight and music, and fell in love all over again. Then it was back to Brisbane, grumpy.

In twelve days' time, I officially pick up the keys to my new apartment in Melbourne, and at every thought of this fact I'm spilling over with inexplicable excitement!

In less than four weeks after that, I'll be saying 'shove it all!', and flying off to Malaysia, Hong Kong and Cambodia for 40 days!

But meanwhile, I'm just a salad. I can see both sides, but just can't decide which side of the bowl i want to eat from. Bah humbug.

Wednesday, November 02, 2005

Losing the Heat in Noosa!



Nothing better than Boost's Watermelon Crush to combat a toasty 30+º afternoon in Noosa.

The next thing's clothes off, bathers on, sunscreen loaded, and catching the mild waves and scooping buckets of sand out of your undies.

Gotta Love Noosa!

^_^..."me too! me
too!"
Such a sweetie, ne? ... xoxo













More photos now ready for viewing at http://jonihayashi.multiply.com