Memories...

Did I seriously only ever do one post on this account? And in 2009 when I was in New Zealand?

Wow - that's a blast from the past!! Still, it's interesting being back on here after so long and I saw in my post that I wrote about going to Australia and that I hoped it was good. It turned out to be good - geeky and interesting and fun and I am very glad I went!

Intersting to read that I created this account from my office in New Zealand. I remember what it was like, too. I had quite a cool desk in an open plan office, which quite honestly reminded me of an airport. I likened it to Changi airport, because it looked that clean and fresh. I remember when I found an internet cafe to use and it was in a shopping mall just down the road from me (Lambton Quay, I think but I can't quite remember). It was quite busy in there and that day, I set up the account, ran to Wishbone to get some lunch and got myself back to my desk.

I really liked the dining area there - it had microwaves and even a hob and oven thing going on, complete with fridges, cookware and crockery. It really was pretty cool! The building was being developed in parts and on the ground floor, I could see that developments for a shop were underway.

It was a bit of a challenge from dya to day as I didn't really fit in anywhere as my job was sort of at the top and disconnected (I was a manager's PA and the manager was head of my department). Bit of a shame that. And the level I was on was termed the "green level" - at the time I had a phobia of using green stationery at work caused by something awful happening to me years ago. Recently, I started using green stationery and like it :)

I may have to reminisce some more...

Memories of NZ Pt 2

I remember my first day in my new office in New Zealand, and far ffrom the previous office whihc reminded me of something from Life on Mars (as in looking like it was from many years ago) this place was high tech! I turned up after a visit to the UK got a pass from reception and found my desk in a bewildered haze. I unpacked all my boxes and made sure my stationery looked OK. I had a cupboard at my desk with sliding doors with magnets and I printed off a map of NZ so I could make travel plans.

My desk was seriously tidy and I made sure everything I had was easy to find, records wise. I also had to put a load of files in one of the filing cabinets. I made sure the lot was clean and tidy and made sure all the electronic files actually made sense, had a naming convention and when I was asked for information I could go straight in and get it. It was a very cool thing, being able to provide audit information the quickest and it became my big goal of the time.

And there were the recruitment consultants who I went to coffee with, back in the days when I could drink coffee. There was a cafe around the corner, the Epsilon cafe, and I loved their soya lattes. There was a very cheeful staff member there who I think was the owner - I was more than a bit sad to find out he'd passed on. He was always really cheerful and made me smile even if I was feeling a bit crappy. I quite liked meeting with the consultants - it was great chatting about what was needed/wanted/required and being able to take charge of the situaiton. Plus getting out of the office was good...

Memories of NZ Pt 3 (Yes, More Office Stuff!)

I remember having to fax my timesheets off and going to the ground floor to do it. There was an electronic fax system but I could never quite get it right - the only place I have ever been able to do that is in a UK temping job and now I still can't remember how you do it!). It was always good chatting with the receptionists and one of the conference maintenence people.

Actually, the conference area was cool, with its company branded mugs, crockery and fridges. And the high tech whiteboards where you could write on, electronically, anyting you needed on the screen... and print it out! Brilliant idea! The meetings weren't too bad although there were times they could have been more interesting. I was still pleased I got my minutes to look prtty damn fab and was actually really sorry to leave that place.

I don't know whether I actually could have had a career there, and I certainly didn't like the isolation - I got on with pople but when my role was a million miles away from what they did, it made things a bit hard. However, it was great really gettingo n top of my role and I even got a fantastic write up from one of the main clients I dealt with as I streamlined the payment systems we had in place so much.

And now I'm starting to remember all of this, it's a really cool ego boost!! :)

Memories of NZ (Part 4 - Sort of Office Stuff)

I remember one moring I had a meeting sprung on me at a venue across the road. I was feeling really tired at the time and wondered if I was being watched as I tried ot stop myself falling asleep. Sure enough, I was!! I kept my eyes open through all of it but fidgeted and tried my best to look alert. I remember a bit of it as it was all about restructuring and a lot of other things. But mostly I remember trying not to fall asleep!

I also remember, thinking of early mornings when my partner at the time would drop me off at my work place an hour early and I'd take the chance to phone my parents having found a meeting room to use. It would have been 7pm UK time so not too bad... Bit of a shame that dalliance ended the way it did - on not so nice terms at all. I was able to head off for a bit and came back refreshed and changed things so that rather than singing as I had done in my NZ adventure part 1 I was focussing on dancing. That was damn cool. Still kept up with my singing lessons though.

Another random thing I remeber is topping my Snapper card up at the railway station. In Wellington, you have to touch in and touch out on the bus as there are a few different zones. That really confused me when I got to the UK and tried to use Oyster cards....!!

More Blogging!!! (Because it's that Kind of Day)

I'm sure I have better things to do this evening than simply sit here updating this blog, but having let it gather dust for so long, it feels really good getting typing again and just letting the words flow. Admittedly I had better log off soon, as I actually have to get up for work in the morning.

I'm a bit glad I didn't drink last night, or today as I went a bit mad on Friday night and drank too much in the way of Peroni. It was a good evening, and as a result, I couldn't remember much about it on Saturday morning. I hadn't slept that well, which always does things to my memory, hence when I found meal offer vouchers I looked at them and thought "why?" then I thought "wow!"

I went to the same place on Friday, Saturday and randomly, today. I met up with someone I hadn't seen for a while, we had a few diagreements and things didn't go so well - but a lot of things happend to both of us and we were chatting and having a good laugh... it felt great!