"Global warming?"

After at least 10 years of hearing about global warming and predictions of strange and unusual weather patterns, i find it amusing that only now that people are starting to take notice of this concept - now that the strange and unusual weather has kicked in (ie snow in Buenos Aires, Argentina - flash floods in northern England etc).

Right now, in Dublin Ireland at 15:13pm on a Thursday afternoon we are experiencing a thunderstorm, with a nice addition of hail. Now this is something that would typically sweep through tropical locations. I'm used to Brisbane summer storms being somewhat like this. Only being somewhat stifling hot before and much more humid after.

Whereas here, it's cold and rainy before and after. This is Irish summer. Thunderstorms are not common in summer or at all. There has been 2 in the last week. It hasn't stopped raining for the last 50 days. Last week we saw the sun make a cameo appearance for an hour or so in the evening time a few days and in the morning for a few days. Then it went back to raining on the weekend. I saw the sun again yesterday afternoon/evening. But then today it's been back to the drizzly rain. When there's sun, there is also rain.... more rain than sun.

But even the Irish who are used to rainy wet summers are astounded at the amount of rain (which has been unseasonally high) that has fallen this "summer". I just can't get over the number of comments I've now overheard about global warming. What you mean the things people were saying 10 years are coming true, now people are starting to wonder and be concerned.... a bit late but better late than never.

The amount of environmental schemes I've been seeing in the last year throughout the countries is escalating and somewhat comforting.

Back to work...

Too busy to blog?

I can honestly say that I've had no time to blog.

I'm making time now because after 2.5 months - coming up to my 11th week here - I've had enough of this so called 'work'. Everyday I'm very angry about this job and then depressed about being here.

Yet I can't seem to stop myself putting in the hours and racking up the overtime to which I will never receive any compensation for.. the occasional thanks (or tanks a millions as they say here) is nice.. but somehow not gratifying enough for me.

Alas, I shall stop ranting. I can't think of anything I've done except work, eat, and sleep a bit since I started working.

But I did go to swansea to visit my cousing Leticia, so I do need to write and put photos up about that. But there seems to be photos missing from my compact flash card which I'm finding disturbing. Strange..

I put photos up around the time of my last blog of life in general in Dublin.

This weekend I'm going to confuse myself undoubtedly by renting a car and trying to drive in Ireland. The Irish have forewarned me to get a map and not follow the signs, if I can find any to where I'm going. I will have to stop and ask for directions and I will get lost it seems inevitable, according to the Irish....

Shall be interesting for sure! The aim is to go to Kilkenny and Waterford. No point making reservations if we don't end up getting there!

One month later...

I can hardly believe that one month has passed since I logged on here.

Not much has happened. Just been working a lot.

Good news is that I updated my website so you can see photos from March and April! Photos of my recent visit to Swansea, Wales to visit Let (my Canadian cousin) are still to come.

Ho hum...

Lest we forget

Today is Anzac Day, so to our war heroes I salute you.

Michelle probably froze her butt off camping open air in Gallipoli, Turkey last night. I hope it was worth it.

I think that's the only reason why i'm glad I'm not on holidays on that tour with her. For some reason, as patriotic as I am (ahem), I am glad not to have the opportunity to expose myself to the elements as the brave soldiers did years ago.

Call me what you will, but this is my rememberance for those Australian soldiers in Gallipoli, 1915.

For those non-aussies and non-new zealanders, ANZAC = Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.

Lest we forget.

all too familiar

Good grief.. I just had an all too familiar feeling. The cleaner here just started switching off the lights as I'm the only one here and turned it off on where i was working. All too familiar.

takes me back to the BDO days where I'd be working away at 11pm or 12 am at night and the security would come round and start switching off lights on me.

At least it's a good 3-4 hours earlier than at BDO and there is still some fading sunlight... blessed are these days.

Tired

Hello there, blog reader.. i read what people are called who read blogs but never post are, but have promptly forgotten.

This is a post to show how sad my life is. It's 7:45pm at night and I'm still at work. I've been here for over 12 hours now and have not had a break...only if you include the 5 minutes I went to heat up my lunch. Sigh.. the joys.

On the upside I have been told that people are already happy with my work. I didn't think I had really done anthing that people could be happy with. Despite being here 12 hours a day. I'm still struggling with the learning curve of the number of systems, applications, programs, processes (or lack of) and everythingn else I need to know or try to find out. It's really incredible.

I keep amazing myself with things I find out on the company's intranet. It's bloody huge and not a lot of it is linked. The best way to find anything is to do a search and one way or another through one page or another you might find what you need.. or by emailing the right person who knows the person you need to talk to about x.

But that's what I am enjoying. the pursuit and research about finding out exactly what I am meant to be doing. I guess in a way i am able to creat my own job and processes which is somewhat rewarding. Ie I can do it my way.

Plus because I'm new i just email these random people in Bratislavia, Germany, slovakia, US, Uk and say, hey I'm new don't know jack, can you tell me about x.

Don't know how long I can use that excuse for.. but it's conveniently convenient.

Well back to work... i can take it home fortunately (?!). As the building shuts down at 9pm i have no choice afterwards but to take work home and keep doing it.

Upside: I live 15 min walk away and there is a supermarket open until late nearby.

That said I'm off because I'm hungry and need to look away from the laptop.. the glow is just so mesmerising.....

Oh Galway weekend at easter was nice. I found Galway city and the cliffs of Moher over-rated. Had a nice time all the same and enjoyed staying in a very nice B & B.

Aahh... the sweet sounds of the capitalist world

A good way to describe my first impression of my new workplace is:

silent.

It's almost deathly silent at work. Open plan offices seems to have a way of quietening everyone. Even on the phone every speaks in hushed voices because the person not 2 metres away from you can hear every breath you take.

Silence is also very apt as there seems to be a lack of information dissemination occurring. I am told nothing and i hear nothing. Words do float all around me but none of it actually makes sense and no one has had time to explain anything to me. So it's been rather overwhelming.

Overwhelming is underestimating this brand new experience. I wanted to quit after 2 days. I found it staunchly disorganised and as above, lack of information passed on to me.

But in my quiet way, I sit and wait and observe. So 1.5 weeks later I still have observed the same madness/disorganisation and still want to quit.

On Day 3 (Monday) i did resolve to stay at least 1 week. Day 5 (1 week mark) was actually better than day 3 & 4... I was truly ready to walk out. So now on Day 7, the people are nice but I can't say I'm enthralled with the job.

But alas, that is the capitalist world...

Speaking of which, I still haven't been able to set a bank account up. I had to ring and chase the bank up about at which point they messed around a while and finally told me that they had staffing issues and my application was passed onto someone else who had not actioned it as yet. Fabulous.

One day everything will be sorted.

On the upside, Paolo and I are heading to Galway this weekend. So more new on the other side.

HAPPY EASTER to one and all!

Eat loads of chocolate, if you don't I will anyway. :-)