...like a lizard drinking.Damn I've been very busy the past few weeks. Flying around Australia. (I fly from Perth today, and back to perth Monday. The system I work with is the flavour of the month here in Australia and just about everybody wants it.
Good for my air miles, bad for my sleep and peace of mind.
Today it was quite cold here in Perth and the striking thing is: many people wear very old-fashioned sweaters and Woolys. Really weird to see a bloke in a red and green banded sweater for the eighties.
Tony, a nice guy I met here, told me it was logical. He's a Scottich bloke who arrived here 15 years ago and he said: yep my sweaters are about 15 years old too and very much out of fashion.
Saturday 26 April 2008
Sunday 13 April 2008
Work, work, work
This time Townsville was all about work.
When I got there the server I was supposed to work on was in a state of decomposition. I mean it almost seemed that the IT service provider did this on purpose.
Having fixed that the IT-service provider basically stole all my credit stating: yep, we've fixed it, and asked for money to my client. What a bunch of fucking leeches. I can only say:
Outsourced IT = very, very, veeeery bad idea.
I had seen this before but... fucking hell, never this bad. It's like they're doing this on purpose: slow network, old computers, no access to anything, not understandable IT-helpdesk based in Pakistan.
Aw, well, I fixed it, installed it and got ready to deliver an admin training: I really like administrators, they're intelligent and I speak their language.
But right before I went to my hotel for a well deserved evening a manager came up to me and said: "you'll be giving a presentation on how to implement this from a Business Process Analyst's perspective". Before I could say: "NO, I don't wanna, fuck off", he added, the CEO would be attending so they expected great things.
Right, there goes my evening, night and morning. Who needs sleep anyway.
So Monday night (don't forget I got up really early to get the first flight to Townsville) I worked till very late to get this presentation ready.
The next few days were a mix of configuration, presentation, meetings and documentation. Really no time to sleep or eat.
I'll be back because they loved me. But next time I'll go a little easier.
When I got there the server I was supposed to work on was in a state of decomposition. I mean it almost seemed that the IT service provider did this on purpose.
Having fixed that the IT-service provider basically stole all my credit stating: yep, we've fixed it, and asked for money to my client. What a bunch of fucking leeches. I can only say:
Outsourced IT = very, very, veeeery bad idea.
I had seen this before but... fucking hell, never this bad. It's like they're doing this on purpose: slow network, old computers, no access to anything, not understandable IT-helpdesk based in Pakistan.
Aw, well, I fixed it, installed it and got ready to deliver an admin training: I really like administrators, they're intelligent and I speak their language.
But right before I went to my hotel for a well deserved evening a manager came up to me and said: "you'll be giving a presentation on how to implement this from a Business Process Analyst's perspective". Before I could say: "NO, I don't wanna, fuck off", he added, the CEO would be attending so they expected great things.
Right, there goes my evening, night and morning. Who needs sleep anyway.
So Monday night (don't forget I got up really early to get the first flight to Townsville) I worked till very late to get this presentation ready.
The next few days were a mix of configuration, presentation, meetings and documentation. Really no time to sleep or eat.
I'll be back because they loved me. But next time I'll go a little easier.
Friday 4 April 2008
RottNest Island
Another Island discovered by the Dutch (I said semi-proudly feeling Dutch). There are some marsupials on the island that if seen from a distance look like huge rats. It’s actually a small kangaroo with a naked tail. They’re quite cute, and very fond of sugar as I discovered (check the Photo it's trying to steal my winegums).
But the Dutch fellow decided it was a rat and called the Island Rattennest eiland… The English not being able to understand any language but their own, translated it to Rottnest Island.
You have to get there by boat (a 1,5 hour ride over the sea). There’s pretty much nothing to do in and around Perth (you need a 4 hour drive to the south or 2 hours flight to the North) so the Perthians are quite happy with this Island and regard it as a weekends retreat. To me it resembles the Veluwe by the sea. A lovely sea, lovely people, lovely Island, but still… not very impressive I don't think I'll return here.
But the Dutch fellow decided it was a rat and called the Island Rattennest eiland… The English not being able to understand any language but their own, translated it to Rottnest Island.
You have to get there by boat (a 1,5 hour ride over the sea). There’s pretty much nothing to do in and around Perth (you need a 4 hour drive to the south or 2 hours flight to the North) so the Perthians are quite happy with this Island and regard it as a weekends retreat. To me it resembles the Veluwe by the sea. A lovely sea, lovely people, lovely Island, but still… not very impressive I don't think I'll return here.
Some Pics
Freemantle, 45 minutes from Perth is just a harbor city like hundreds similar ones in the world. The market is alright and resembles “la boqueteria” in Barcelona – Spain. I buy some a peach, a slice of melon and some pineapple.
The AQWA (Aquarium West Australia how smart) is just another aquarium like the dozens I have already visited. The Box Jelly Fish Foto basically says: The Box Jelly Fish is the most venomous marine creature in the world. A box-jellyfish can kill a human in less than a minute.
Perth has enormous parks and enough space for every one.
I had never swam in the Indian Ocean so I was quite exited to go. I went to Scarborough beach, and splash! Into the Ocean. The water was nice, a little cold.
Swans, the black ones
Swan Taxis, Swan River, Swan hotel, Swan café, Swan Opal Shops, the swan logo for the city council AND the local governor.
I’m guessing Perth has something to do with Swans. The emblem of Perth is 2 black swans. Oh yeah right! I remember: The discovery of a BLACK swan was very unexpected and shocked Europe. Even better, a Dutch man discovered it… Or did he, I’m guessing some aboriginal must have spotted the black swam a little earlier. Europe was under the impression that the only color you could get a swan was white, nothing was further from the truth
Anyway the Black Swan example is used as a principle in presentations as a warning for people who aren’t ready for the unexpected or change. This dogma is underlined by this discovery, the capture and the presentation of this freak of nature. Funny.
I did see a black swam in the distance but didn't get a picture.
I’m guessing Perth has something to do with Swans. The emblem of Perth is 2 black swans. Oh yeah right! I remember: The discovery of a BLACK swan was very unexpected and shocked Europe. Even better, a Dutch man discovered it… Or did he, I’m guessing some aboriginal must have spotted the black swam a little earlier. Europe was under the impression that the only color you could get a swan was white, nothing was further from the truth
Anyway the Black Swan example is used as a principle in presentations as a warning for people who aren’t ready for the unexpected or change. This dogma is underlined by this discovery, the capture and the presentation of this freak of nature. Funny.
I did see a black swam in the distance but didn't get a picture.
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