I started the year on a contract at the National Australia Bank with the role of updating/creating the content of the People (HR) area of the bank's intranet site. It was enjoyable work and I was enjoying the company of the people that I worked with and the general interactions with the people in that department.
There was a chap in the department who was moving to Dubai with his partner and his role was advertised. With a bit of prompting, I applied for the job and was successful - so after having been a contractor pretty much since 1991, I took a permanent role here - this was quite a move for me and it was even more different than I expected.
I first started work on November 5th 1979 and have always worked in IT - mainly on projects where there is a start, middle and end. My new job isn't really a direct IT role and it isn't project related - the actual role is to support the Business around certain computer systems that they use. If they have issues with these systems or require changes, then they let me know and I manage these issues/changes by talking with technology and vendors and ensuring that things are addressed. I then keep the business informed as to progress and stay on top of things. It is a managing/facilitating role ensuring that the day to day running of these systems is smooth - so no real projects as such. A week can end and everyone is happy and all is working and/or being addressed, but I haven't really created anything or changed anything - that is a strange feeling.
Other than my change of role, the whole department has been through a change and there has been new management and the place was sort of turned on it's head and rather disappointingly just left there - we are still waiting to be picked up. At this time, we are going through another change and hopefully, before long, we will begin to see what direction we are moving in.
So overall, it has been a year of change and I think that I've enjoyed myself and I've done my job well.
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Not much to report on this front. I have been saving up my holiday allocation as the plan was that I'd catch up with Louise (my sister) in New York during 2009 as that is where she was going to go and celebrate her 50th birthday. As things stand, it looks like she might not make it over there this year and therefore I have a few days to use when I decide what to do. So the only two trips that come to mind from this year were both to Sydney. the first was to go and see Jools Holland perform at the Opera House and the second was to catch up with my cousin Vicky who was over here with her new son, Max. Other than those two trips, I have spent my spare time in Melbourne enjoying the delights on offer.
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Slightly more interesting than last year - but that isn't a tough act to follow. As ever, there has been lots of interest from me, but little coming back in response. A couple of good leads turned out to be non eventful. But I've ended the year in a relationship with Georgina, so that's good.
It's weird that as I get older, each time a relationship ends, it feels more and more like that was probably my last chance. Where the current one goes to is hard to say - it's early days. I do question whether I am capable of being in a long-term relationship or not - I've made it to 47 and the longest relationship has been two years - that doesn't bode well. I guess that I am used to quite a selfish existence, so it is a challenge to alter that attitude when somebody comes along - time will tell.
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This has been a quiet year really. I created a new one for a friend of a friend - Leonie Marks - who is a practitioner/life coach in South Australia. The site took a while to do as we slowly worked towards a site that fitted her needs - I have also helped teach her how to maintain it herself, so that has resulted in a lot less work for myself - excellent.
I also started doing one for Sally Dastey again - she had gone into the world of MySpace but has agreed that a website is also required, so I have put a version of her old one together. I have only seen Sally perform three times this year, but each was damn impressive. Doing her website means that I get to know when she is gigging, so that is good stuff. Add link .....
I also put a page together for my mate Charmaine O'Brien who has just had another book published. As the website address was going to be in the book, she needed to put something up there as a stop-gap. Whether I end up doing the real site for her is remains up for discussion.
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It's been an interesting year - I tend to lose track of what I have been doing. this is because I have pretty much been doing whatever I want for the last 11 years, so I forget where one year ends and another starts. I have had a browse through my diary for some key points:
After a couple of years of being a Permanent Resident, I finally got around to taking my Citizenship Test. Upon the successful completion of that, I put in my forms for Citizenship. I was expecting these forms to be sent off for processing, but they actioned them there and then and told me that I was a citizen - just like that. It was a weird feeling after having tried so long to be casually informed that it was all over. My link ....... A couple of months after being granted citizenship, I attended my Citizenship Ceremony at the Richmond Town Hall - not as exciting as I had hoped, but it was still special.
In February, the Prime Minister (Kevin Rudd) made the much anticipated and necessary "Sorry" to the indigenous population of this land. It was an incredible day - very emotional and quite cleansing as there was no hiding or excuses, just an acknowledgment and apology - it felt to me like the second part of becoming a citizen - as it made the country more united. It also encouraged me to complete my write-up on the indigenous population of Australia.
Really, the whole of this year has been good - just nothing much worth waffling on about. I have been to the recording of TV shows, I have been to a festival launch, I have attending some stunning gigs, I attended an Aboriginal Land Ceremony, I have seen some plays, I have seen some comedians, I have been to listen to some authors, I met Rolf Harris, I went to a book launch, I went to art shows, I caught up with my cousin Vicky (and her son Max) in Sydney. Me, Vicky and Max. Me and Max. Not to forget that I also went to Francine's wedding on New Year's Eve.
I have also been to two funerals this year, my mate Matt's wife Ang tragically died leaving a young family and also Chick Ratten passed away after years of providing me with great music at a great pub. Two fine people.
To sum it up, I have spent the whole year enjoying life. Lots of fun times and great company. I live a very full and rewarding life and I still appreciate that and I also appreciate where I live and therefore the opportunities I have. |
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Lots of Interesting acts experienced this year including:
International acts: Jools Holland, Pink Martini, Waifs, Archie Roach, Eddi Reader, Sharon Jones, Buddy Guy, Keb Mo, Mavis Staples, Sinead O'Connor, Martin Stephenson, Newton Faulkner, Tony Hadley and Kings of Leon
Local acts: Susannah Espie, Tinpan Orange, John Butler, Clare Bowditch, Archie Roach, Vika and Linda, Katie Noonan, Hidden Republic, C W Stoneking, Vanessa Amorosi, Lior, Geoff Achison, Jeff Lang, Sally Dastey, Bobby Flynn, Hayley Clare, Benefit gig for Kate Bentley, Joe Camilleri (with the Blacksorrows), Chris Wilson, Dan Sultan and Tex Perkins
Highlights were definitely the Jools Holland gigs - one here and one in Sydney - I haven't seen him live since 1997, so it was great to see him and his huge band again. Also getting to finally see Mavis Staples was a delight. Eddi Reader is always a pleasure. The Waifs never fail to impress and leave me happy. Pink Martini were a very pleasant experience and unexpectedly wonderful. Sinead O'Connor was much better than I had anticipated. Archie Roach remains the greatest storyteller I know of. Newton Faulkner was excellent, but the venue (Forum Theatre) ruined the pleasure as it was over-populated. Martin Stephenson made a brief stopover - I used to go and see him a lot in the UK and I've seen him one other time here - he's an interesting and talented chap. John Butler was superb. Joe Camilleri with the Blacksorrows and Vika and Linda was an excellent gig at the Speigeltent. Seeing Chris Wilson finally do a gig this year with a decent guitarist was good - I hope that he reinvents himself into something more worthy of his incredible talent - he seems to be treading water at present. C W Stoneking remains an enigma and a very funny man - his shows are always a good experience.
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I have a fine selection of friends and meet new people all the time, some become friends, some remain just enjoyable meetings. And obviously some fall by the side as I make my way through life - some through my choice, some through theirs and some just fade. Looking through my diary, I have catching up with 53 different people logged - that averages at about one unique person per week - that is a healthy life. And that doesn't take into account people I met randomly as my diary only contains those that I have arranged to meet. As always, this river of encounters warms me and is a reflection of the way I live my life.
(Alace, Amanda, Anni, Bec, Bina, Caroline, Charmaine, Edwin, Ernie, Francine, Frank, Georgie, Georgie S, Georgina, Gillian, Greta, Heather, Inez, Jo, Julie, Kam, Karen, Karin, Kate, Kylie, Lisa, Maggie, Margaret, Margaret (mz), Margaret (nr), Matt, Mel, Michelle, Murat, Paula, Pauline, Phillipa, Rachel, Robyn, Ruth, Sarah, Sharon, Shellie, Steph, Steph (bal), Terri, Tommy, Trena, Tricia, Trudi, Trudi (wer), Vanessa, Vicky)
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Alas I'm still a big fat pig, so that isn't good. I walk quite a bit, but attempts at going to the gym didn't last very long. It isn't that I don't want go to the gym, but I need some routine in doing that. As I tend to be at work at 6am, there isn't time to go before work. After work, there is always something else to do that stops me. I like to have a routine and if my social life prevents that, then I tend to give priority to that. I had a great plan of moving apartments this year to one that had a gym within it - that way I could go before work easily as there are no opening hours to worry about - that is still an option. I do have a bike, but I haven't been using that too much, so I must get back into that. The biggest problem I have is that I love food and I eat too much of it - I don't know what I can do about that other than have my stomach stapled, but I don't want to do that - I think that I need my head to decide that enough is enough - I shall continue to try and persuade it to do that.
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Last year I wrote:
"The more I do, see and encounter, the more it becomes clear to me that I have a huge say in how my life works. It isn't the things that matter - it is how I respond, accept and/or resist them that gives them their character and weight in my world. If I can make things good by how I react to them, then why waste my energies in not doing so?"
That still represents how I feel and I don't really have much to add to it.
There are always things that you read that resonate true to you. I saw a sign the other day that said: "You don't get to choose how you are going to die, you can only decide how to live now" - that is true unless you are planning to commit suicide of course.
Something that I read that struck me as stunning was from Dawn French's recent memoirs, "Dear Fatty". Within there she thanks her hubby (Lenny Henry) for teaching her that each day starts with a clean slate. I don't even pretend to think that I can do that, but it is something that I am going to aim for and just by aiming there, it should improve life no end. Can you imagine living like that? No regrets, resentment, annoyances, anger, bitterness. I guess that is the Buddhist way of living. I think I shall keep it in mind and see how that works for me.
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I was planning on catching up with my sister in New York, but that probably won't happen.
I have also been thinking about buying a place to live, but I have been lax in saving and don't have enough for a deposit, so that might have to go by the by. The economy is changing in the favour of people wanting tin to buy, so it's a shame that I have been too busy living and not made the effort to save nearly enough money - shame on me.
I might look to enhance my job by either trying to move higher up in this department or find work (within this company) in a different area - a lot depends on how things develop in the next stage of the restructure.
Nothing else comes to mind
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Live is damn good I tells you
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