Here ends the stories of buildings and begins the tails of kangaroos.
Two weeks ago, my first mate arrived. She was my first and only mate at the company before I joined. Nicki Spencer, who was always someone I looked up to in my college sorority and in the GT ISYE department, was the initial reason I interviewed at Amdocs. I was so proud to show her around Melbourne and the office when she first arrived, and I am personally very happy that she is here with me. Even though I have been here for over two months, she has already proven to be a valuable mentor to me and obviously a great friend. (She is also keeping a blog at http://www.peachdownunder.blogspot.com.)
Three’s company in this neck of the bush. Nicki and I didn’t even think about planning an excursion out of the city without the fearless Carson Powell, fellow Georgia Tech grad and future executive. The winter weather does not compare to how cool the members of our crew are. I don’t think more highly of anyone on this project than Nicki and Carson. And frankly, we were all excited to leave Melbourne for the weekend to experience landmarks other than bars!
Last week, a Friday recommendation from a local co-worker gave us a good idea for a Saturday/Sunday destination. He suggested that we head down to Wilson’s Prom[otory], which is a national park 4 hours from Melbourne and also the southernmost tip of mainland Australia. His wildlife sighting guarantee won us over and we immediately started planning our trip (of course, not through e-mails at work). Friday night, we found an available beach cottage online that overlooked Warratah Bay. Saturday morning, we rented a smooth-running Corolla, threw some clothes and blankets into its compact trunk, and attempted to follow our hastily-written directions down Princes Highway.
Twice, we saw signs for Melbourne pointing in the same direction we were going. Once, we dead-ended into a dirt road adjacent to a pasture. Thrice, we were fooled by our pitiful map that did not extend past Koo Wee Rup. And more times than I can count, we drove ‘round roundabouts that served as main attractions for population-50 towns. We did pop off at Warraton to ask for directions and buy Pringles, and the entire town came into the general store to help us. The store owner and his family told us that they “liked accents” and that we were “headed to Sydney”. Being the driver, I let the navigators embarrass themselves while I shopped around the one-aisle store with my grocery trolley.
At 6 pm, we made it to Warratah Bay, starving and ready to get out of the car. There were no restaurants or stores in sight, but the beach was beautiful and Carson swears he saw a “real big rabbit”. And our cottage made the trip worthwhile: for once we had to rough it with a gas stove and lack of furnace. We all said a prayer of thanks when I found a box of noodles and can of pasta sauce that we had thrown into my bag at the last second ‘just in case’. After the best sea-salted spaghetti in the whole world, we reverted back to fifth grade and told ghost stories all night, completing the sleepover with snacks and a stack of movies. Mostly, Nicki and I snuggled up with our blankets on the couch while Carson enjoyed every minute of scaring the hell out of us. We had to draw all the curtains before going to bed at 10!
The morning came lightly and the three of us walked down the beach to enjoy the scenery. The first wild animal we encountered, besides Carson's bunny, was a red parrot. I'd seen these birds in the country before, but I was tickled to see them hanging out on a tree next to the beach!
Our next destination was the Prom. Directions were clearer on this day, a lot like our minds...
After paying a few coins (by the way, two dollar coins are the smallest and easiest to lose) to enter the wildlife-promising peninsula, we drove the half hour stretch to the Tidal River. Nicki was driving for the first time and watching the road, Carson was navigating and goofing off in the front seat, and I was crouched in the back with my head craned out the window, on Koala Watch. Sadly, we found out later that koalas were rarely seen in the area. We also kept wide eyes for 'hoppers', but had no luck during the first leg. We did find some wild emus, but some other Aussie tourists got there first and they were already far away. By the time we reached the Tidal River and visitor's center (which is the center of the Prom) I had a sinking feeling that we wouldn't be seeing any cool animals at all.
It turns out that my disappointment was pecked away a bit by some red parrots after lunch... click on these links to see the videos!
Parrot Lady: http://video.google.com.au/videoplay?docid=-7301980631027636592&hl=en-AU
Pirate: http://video.google.com.au/videoplay?docid=6584330647681129969&hl=en-AU
Nicki Parrot:http://video.google.com.au/videoplay?docid=692050310503827107&hl=en-AU
We had two hours until take-off to the penguins on Phillip Island (the penguins come out at a certain time, and there was no way we were going to miss it!) so we asked a ranger what we could do, with the interest of seeing kangaroos in mind. She suggested hiking or heading to the air field off the main stretch to look for the animals. After reading the map and adding things to our 'To Do Next Time' list, we decided that Lilly Pilly Gully was so well-named that we had to hike through it. When I think of the word 'gully', I think of a childhood movie "Fern Gully", and this movie proved to me last weekend that it really is an animated version of the real thing. There were dinosaur-aged flora and fauna, beautiful trees and rocks, and perfectly moist air. There was a man-made boardwalk inside the gully, about two kilometers in (part of which we ran), and the whole experience was just refreshing.
Lilly, Pilly, and Gully got back in the car and slowly made our way out of the Prom in search for more thrills (roos, please?) We were all more and more certain that no wildlife would be seen; I think this may have been the reason for the gully. Then, Carson made me turn around because he thought he saw another "real big rabbit". We parked off the side of the road where the road was not surrounded by trees, and sure enough there was a field full of tall grass and camoflaged kangas.
At first we saw one and we all squealed with excitement. It was no more than 4 feet tall, grey, and hunched over eating grass. From the shoulders up, it looked like a deer eating grass, but down to its haunches it looked like an oversized bunny rabbit! It was about 50 feet away.
Then someone saw another one behind it, and another one in the distance. Then, I'm not sure if one of us made a loud sound or not, but all of the sudden, 25 hoppers rose out of the tall grass. They stood erect (6 feet, abouts) and stared at us. They were all shapes and sizes, but mostly little for kangaroos. One started hopping, and then they were all hopping across the field, right in front of us. We got closer and took a couple of videos:
Kangas: http://video.google.com.au/videoplay?docid=-8711552630929537529&hl=en-AU
More Kangas: http://video.google.com.au/videoplay?docid=-7882102648129499554&hl=en-AU
Dumbstruck, we pranced back to the car to continue our adventure out of the Prom. Don't ask me how, but Carson found the air field, which is behind the trees lining the road and guarded by a 'do not enter' gate. There were literally hundreds of kangaroos hanging around in the field. We did what anyone else would do in such a situation: we pretended to be kangaroos! (Especially in pictures. Enjoy!) We also hung out with a couple of funny wombats roaming around.
Pictures from the whole weekend: http://www.picasaweb.google.com/anna.lane.clark
The ending of our adventure was at Phillip Island, where we witnessed little penguins waddling for their lives in little groups at dusk, as part of their daily 'coming home' ritual. It was cute but a cold, rainy, touristy experience!
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Friday, July 27, 2007
A Top-Off to Wine Country
Dear readers, I have left you hanging like one of the dress shirts in my closet. If it makes you feel any better, I intend to fully ad-dress this issue right now.
I must recount our outing to the vineyards before it escapes my slightly-aged, full-bodied head (that pairs well with food)…
Five of us (myself, Tasmin, Fabio, Ebonei, and Sherina) drove southeast to Mornington Peninsula on Sunday afternoon, June 17th towards Red Hill. Once out of the city and onto the beautiful country roads, our car hummed with satisfaction on both the inside and outside. Two hours after we left, we saw a sign for Foxey’s Vineyard & Winery.
It was a little wooden house with a vineyard in the backyard. The vineyards were a lot smaller than I pictured they would be; in fact most of the places we visited were mom-and-pop businesses, although there were many customers tasting wine at each place. The specialty at Foxey’s was the infamous Australian Shiraz, which is a favorite among the girls I was traveling with. Don’t get me wrong: I bubbled over with joy to participate in the tasting, but I was saving up for some white wine. The picture to the right is the 5 of us with our Shiraz in the vineyard at Foxey's.
Being outside next to the vineyards was my favorite part of the whole trip. I could clear my head with a simple breath of air. The grass was fresh with dew and the late-afternoon atmosphere was peaceful. Bugs, humidity, clouds, and smog might as well have never existed. I do not believe that I have experienced cleaner, more refreshing air anywhere on the planet than in Mornington on this day.
I must recount our outing to the vineyards before it escapes my slightly-aged, full-bodied head (that pairs well with food)…
Five of us (myself, Tasmin, Fabio, Ebonei, and Sherina) drove southeast to Mornington Peninsula on Sunday afternoon, June 17th towards Red Hill. Once out of the city and onto the beautiful country roads, our car hummed with satisfaction on both the inside and outside. Two hours after we left, we saw a sign for Foxey’s Vineyard & Winery.
It was a little wooden house with a vineyard in the backyard. The vineyards were a lot smaller than I pictured they would be; in fact most of the places we visited were mom-and-pop businesses, although there were many customers tasting wine at each place. The specialty at Foxey’s was the infamous Australian Shiraz, which is a favorite among the girls I was traveling with. Don’t get me wrong: I bubbled over with joy to participate in the tasting, but I was saving up for some white wine. The picture to the right is the 5 of us with our Shiraz in the vineyard at Foxey's.Being outside next to the vineyards was my favorite part of the whole trip. I could clear my head with a simple breath of air. The grass was fresh with dew and the late-afternoon atmosphere was peaceful. Bugs, humidity, clouds, and smog might as well have never existed. I do not believe that I have experienced cleaner, more refreshing air anywhere on the planet than in Mornington on this day.
We stopped by the most beautiful vineyard of the day but the winery was closed. The sun was hanging just right over the trees while we were there. This is where the below picture was taken. 
Elderidge Estate was the next little winery we spotted after Foxey’s. There were gardens and white rose bushes that adorned the driveway to the house, and once again the vineyards were a large backyard to the house. The owner took a couple of us through a tasting of 5 different wines: a Shiraz, 2 Pinot Noirs, and 2 Chardonneys. (These are the major wines of the Mornington area.) The picture to the left is Ebonei and me at this tasting with the cheerful owner in the background.
Elderidge Estate was the next little winery we spotted after Foxey’s. There were gardens and white rose bushes that adorned the driveway to the house, and once again the vineyards were a large backyard to the house. The owner took a couple of us through a tasting of 5 different wines: a Shiraz, 2 Pinot Noirs, and 2 Chardonneys. (These are the major wines of the Mornington area.) The picture to the left is Ebonei and me at this tasting with the cheerful owner in the background. When I tasted the first Pinot Noir at Elderidge Estate, I was suddenly in a trance. It was just a 2005 clone (of course only made at this place and sold within Australia – I was hoping for a fancy name, I suppose), but it was crisp and flavorful and numbingly delicious. I wasn’t able to leave without buying a bottle. A few weeks later at home, my whole family was able to drink it with my birthday dinner.
Our final destination came next: Red Hill Estate, which is large and well-known in Victoria. The grounds were beautiful. The second wine I tasted there was almost as savory as the Pinot Noir a half hour beforehand. It was the 2006 Red Hill Estate Chardonney, and just like the Pinot, I was surprised because I’ve never enjoyed Chardonney as much as other wines. This one was also crisp and very flavorful, and I think it caused me to sway a little bit in enjoyment. I bought this bottle and brought it home to Katie and Matt (I hope this makes up for missing your wedding!)
Taking requests for wine…
Taking requests for wine…
Monday, June 25, 2007
Footy, Great Ocean Road, Wine Country
My head grew a little bit after reading comments on my last posting, so keep that in mind when you see the pictures below.
The first person I met last week was my stream leeda, Marcelo Petroni. Knowing that his voice was very Australian, I didn't know what to expect by the Italian name. It turns out that only his name and father's side are Italian; he has the face of an Argentinian and a heart of an Auzzie. My coworkers are of similar authentication. From Latin American to Indian to good-ole-Southern-boy blokes and sheilas, we are a diverse group.
My friend George introduced some of us to footy. In the picture from left to right are George, Elk, Sherina, Fabio, Me, and Tasmin. The footy match for me was such an entertaining time. The
stadium seating was so high that I felt it a bit Quidditch-like. Just as the people I have described have such diverse family backgrounds, footy is like a mix of all the sports we know in America. Imagine a football game with 4 goal posts in each end zone instead of 2, where players dribble the football-shaped ball down a 150-m-long-ways-diameter oval field and drop kick it to teammates, who catch the ball and run, dribble, and drop kick more passes. This is a game where tackles can set off hockey-like fighting entertainment. There are 4 quarters and a half time show but, like basketball or soccer, there are no dull time intervals during the game where no action is going on. It's a football game that everyone can enjoy, even girls since the game is always active and the players wear short shorts.
Sadly, the Melbourne Demons lost. To cheer everyone up I told them the Demons had already gone to hell.
Tasmin rented a car for the weekend and had the idea to drive down the Great Ocean Road, which is the windy beach road along the coast southwest of Melbourne. It goes all the way to the southern tip of the island where penguins live, which we didn't get to see, but we did get to see the Twelve Apostles.
The crew on this day was me, Tasmin, Sammy, and a girl Tasmin knows named Nataline. Nataline has long auburn hair and a long, pretty face with a deep and Aussie-accented voice. She said she was half Argentinian and half Italian, just like my boss. She looked about 30 but when I asked how old she was (by the way this is not normally a polite thing to do) she cheerfully said "ah, I'm 19 love" and it blew me away. At first she was our chauffeur since she had experience driving, but soon after some fast curves and quick stops I decided to give it a go - I promise, it made everyone relax. I picked it up quickly and drove the rest of the weekend. Total, I estimated that I drove 500 kilometers, give or take a few where others attempted to drive. It's all about putting yourself in the correct fifth of the road and remembering to get in the left lane when you turn.
The first person I met last week was my stream leeda, Marcelo Petroni. Knowing that his voice was very Australian, I didn't know what to expect by the Italian name. It turns out that only his name and father's side are Italian; he has the face of an Argentinian and a heart of an Auzzie. My coworkers are of similar authentication. From Latin American to Indian to good-ole-Southern-boy blokes and sheilas, we are a diverse group.
My friend George introduced some of us to footy. In the picture from left to right are George, Elk, Sherina, Fabio, Me, and Tasmin. The footy match for me was such an entertaining time. The
stadium seating was so high that I felt it a bit Quidditch-like. Just as the people I have described have such diverse family backgrounds, footy is like a mix of all the sports we know in America. Imagine a football game with 4 goal posts in each end zone instead of 2, where players dribble the football-shaped ball down a 150-m-long-ways-diameter oval field and drop kick it to teammates, who catch the ball and run, dribble, and drop kick more passes. This is a game where tackles can set off hockey-like fighting entertainment. There are 4 quarters and a half time show but, like basketball or soccer, there are no dull time intervals during the game where no action is going on. It's a football game that everyone can enjoy, even girls since the game is always active and the players wear short shorts.Sadly, the Melbourne Demons lost. To cheer everyone up I told them the Demons had already gone to hell.
Tasmin rented a car for the weekend and had the idea to drive down the Great Ocean Road, which is the windy beach road along the coast southwest of Melbourne. It goes all the way to the southern tip of the island where penguins live, which we didn't get to see, but we did get to see the Twelve Apostles.
The crew on this day was me, Tasmin, Sammy, and a girl Tasmin knows named Nataline. Nataline has long auburn hair and a long, pretty face with a deep and Aussie-accented voice. She said she was half Argentinian and half Italian, just like my boss. She looked about 30 but when I asked how old she was (by the way this is not normally a polite thing to do) she cheerfully said "ah, I'm 19 love" and it blew me away. At first she was our chauffeur since she had experience driving, but soon after some fast curves and quick stops I decided to give it a go - I promise, it made everyone relax. I picked it up quickly and drove the rest of the weekend. Total, I estimated that I drove 500 kilometers, give or take a few where others attempted to drive. It's all about putting yourself in the correct fifth of the road and remembering to get in the left lane when you turn. 
Our first stop off Great Ocean Road was a pit stop which happened to be next to a little park. We got out to stretch, and after wandering around the empty, beautiful park we realized we were surrounded by eucalyptus. We looked up and saw koalas. There was a family hugging tightly - passed out from their eucalyptus high - in one tree, and there was one koala in another tree reaching around for food. It looked pretty intent on getting those leaves. It's a hard life being high all the time I suppose.
We stopped a few times for pictures and what not, 
but our final destination came after dark (6:30 pm) which was the Twelve Apostles and dinner at Port Campbell. I am sending everyone postcards of the Twelve Apostles because we couldn't get a good picture ourselves. There are 12 huge rocks that stick out of the water that supposedly used to trap pirate ships when they came to steal from Port Campbell. There was also a famous shipwreck closeby that survived a boy and a girl who had an alleged love story - or at least the Aussies turned it into a love story for ratings. Pictured on the left are me and Sammy in front of the Twelve Apostles sign.
but our final destination came after dark (6:30 pm) which was the Twelve Apostles and dinner at Port Campbell. I am sending everyone postcards of the Twelve Apostles because we couldn't get a good picture ourselves. There are 12 huge rocks that stick out of the water that supposedly used to trap pirate ships when they came to steal from Port Campbell. There was also a famous shipwreck closeby that survived a boy and a girl who had an alleged love story - or at least the Aussies turned it into a love story for ratings. Pictured on the left are me and Sammy in front of the Twelve Apostles sign.Friday, June 15, 2007
Melbun
G'day! It is Saturday afternoon in a city down under, and I have a feeling that my carpels will hurt in a couple of hours because I have so much to say.
Let's begin with the 36-hour parentheses in time that was my journey to the other side of the planet. A calm, level-headed boyfriend of mine helped a pair of frantic Clark women complete (or partially complete) my company's medical benefits paperwork with a slow computer and erratic printer at T minus 2 hours to take-off. My mom and I agreed that it was a good thing that he took me to Hartsfield that evening. At the airport he was more travel-savvy and helpful than I have ever been and I am so grateful he was there with me and my luggage.
Unfortunately airlines don't always have the helpful qualities that J.T. possesses. Don't get me wrong; the only thing that wasn't smooth during my flights and transfers was the rough air over the Pacific. I slept well in the air (it was almost 19 hours total air time) and watched 4 on-demand movies, all the while tickled that I would never experience a day called June 12th, 2007 (well put, Billy). It wasn't until the end of the journey, on June 13th, that I found myself running circles around the luggage carousel and feeling just as 'out of place' as my luggage. It was like my belongings had been sucked into the non-existent day of June 12th.
All I'm going to say at this point is Thank Goodness I was in a country where I could ask bag services personnel in plain English where my luggage was. After confirming that my electric blue and overweight red trolley suitcases were on the next flight to Melbourne from L.A., I was given an address where I could claim A$100 as a 24 hour stipend.
If you're wondering, A$100 is about $83.00, and it will typically buy you a shirt if it's on sale. I was lucky to have great sales people at a mall I found 2 blocks away from my place who helped me find a great suit, shirt, and shoes for about A$220. I made friends for life! (Although later I found out the the company will reimburse me for all the clothes I bought while my luggage was missing. Apparently I should have gone hog-wild. Last time someone's luggage was lost, that person spent $3,000.00 in clothes...)
Backing up for a minute, my mood took a 180 when I saw where I would be living. I am staying in a company-sponsored corporate apartment at the Saville on Russell in downtown Melbourne. It has a full kitchen with a stove, oven, dish washer, toaster, microwave, coffee maker, dinnerware, and kitchen utensils. I have my own washer and dryer. There is a kitchen table and chairs, desk, internet connection, phone, living room with couch and coffee table and TV, bedroom with a queen, and a full bathroom. There is also a balcony with doors in my bedroom and the living room. When I arrived there was a cloth bag with complimentary fruit, bread, and jam. Everyday I come home to find my dirty dishes washed and put away; my bed made; the shampoo, soap, laundry detergent, and mini-bar replenished; and the apartment straightened and cleaned. (Yes, I've been bad about the mini-bar... I might get it removed and start buying groceries.) Room Service and movies on-demand are 24-hour luxuries as well. Ladies and gentlemen, I am going to be a spoiled brat.
Anyone want to come visit?
Onto work. A few blocks from the Saville is the 50-story Telstra building, where I work on the 50th floor. The stroll to work hasn't yet failed to be splendid; it makes for a brisk and pleasant morning walk with many other suit-and-tie pedestrians. Passing street cafes brimming with people-watchers, morning papers, conversation, and javaroma makes me happy. Javaroma is not a real word, but I think it well-describes the smell of coffee and bustle of people in the morning.
The coffee machine at work is like my new suitcase: gizmic. I couldn't figure the thing out at first... in fact, the only button I have figured out since the first day is the one for latte, so I drink lattes everyday. There is also breakfast food, snacks, and drinks that we expense to Amdocs.
The biggest change in my surroundings at the office, however, is the space around me at my desk. On both flights to L.A. and Australia I had 2 seats to myself. My cab had been an SUV, and my hotel apartment is a place my college friends and I would pack 12 people into. Room 6 of floor 50 is the size of my bedroom and is lined with table desks, outlets, and ethernet jacks. 7 (seven) of us are parked in there with our laptops and rules-of-thumb of looking both ways before you back up.
I won't talk much about work because even I don't understand it yet, but there are 7 of us on a particular stream of the project, and there is a LOT to do. We are working with IBM - and sometimes it seems like we are working FOR IBM - and there are deadlines, deadlines, deadlines. I have learned that things change daily in this business. This job will be challenging and it will allow me to exercise my people skills, technical skills, communication skills, presentation skills, leadership skills, teamwork skills, BS-ing skills...
Nunchuck skills, bowhunting skills, computer hacking skills...
Anyway! The good news is that the people in Room 6 don't smell bad or make stupid jokes - in fact, they are a lot of fun. They inducted me into the group on Thursday night with dinner, wine, beer, and tequila. (By the way, the food here isn't awesome, but it's not awful. If you find good, specialized, gourmet restaurants, I'm sure it's excellent, but since I'll eat anything, I don't mind settling for OK.) They took me to a bar/restaurant called Transport, but it was too crowded, so we went to the nicer restaurant above it called Taxi. But that was full too, so we went to the lounge on the third level called Transit. What a ride! Anyway, some local friends of my co-workers met us there and taught me how to say things like "Melbun" and "Nahyu". It's amazing how much this group reminds me of friends from home. Brian, there is a guy here who is you to a T. Well he's actually from Kansas, but in general the people born and raised in Melbourne are fantastic too!
Bear with me; I know I can't sign off before describing Melbourne a little bit better. Not counting Singapore, Melbourne is the cleanest, safest city I have ever encountered. My boss described the safety as follows: a girl could walk from one end of the city to the other 20 times in the middle of the night through all the alley-ways and never once run into trouble. Grandmary: not that I would ever do this. Having been here a few days, I haven't seen a single beggar or homeless person. (I'm pretty sure all homeless people get welfare.) The only people I have seen stationed on the streets are musicians and it seems that the only non-well-dressed people are college kids and tourists.
Mom-- beautiful, old churches. Going to one tomorrow but haven't decided which one. The culture... everyone is polite and says their Ps and Qs. The dress... no one's heard of Business Casual or Casual Fridays at work, even at the good ole phone company. (It just cracks me up because the rooms are so cramped and some of the conference rooms are so old - mismatching chairs and everything - and the dress is still suit and tie.)
The weather is a bit nippy at this time of year but nothing a jacket can't handle. I like to describe it as crisp. Other climatic features have proven to be quite interesting, though. Yesterday at 3 pm, we looked out of the office window at a sea of clouds beneath us. We couldn't see the streets or floors 1-35 of any building, but only white cotton candy and the tips of a few surrounding skyscrapers. And the sky of course. Isn't that cool? People were taking pictures because no one had seen anything like it before. I love Australia!
Oye, it's time to bog in and have some tucker. I'm starving.
P.S. Thanks for the comments and e-mails. I miss y'all a ton!
Let's begin with the 36-hour parentheses in time that was my journey to the other side of the planet. A calm, level-headed boyfriend of mine helped a pair of frantic Clark women complete (or partially complete) my company's medical benefits paperwork with a slow computer and erratic printer at T minus 2 hours to take-off. My mom and I agreed that it was a good thing that he took me to Hartsfield that evening. At the airport he was more travel-savvy and helpful than I have ever been and I am so grateful he was there with me and my luggage.
Unfortunately airlines don't always have the helpful qualities that J.T. possesses. Don't get me wrong; the only thing that wasn't smooth during my flights and transfers was the rough air over the Pacific. I slept well in the air (it was almost 19 hours total air time) and watched 4 on-demand movies, all the while tickled that I would never experience a day called June 12th, 2007 (well put, Billy). It wasn't until the end of the journey, on June 13th, that I found myself running circles around the luggage carousel and feeling just as 'out of place' as my luggage. It was like my belongings had been sucked into the non-existent day of June 12th.
All I'm going to say at this point is Thank Goodness I was in a country where I could ask bag services personnel in plain English where my luggage was. After confirming that my electric blue and overweight red trolley suitcases were on the next flight to Melbourne from L.A., I was given an address where I could claim A$100 as a 24 hour stipend.
If you're wondering, A$100 is about $83.00, and it will typically buy you a shirt if it's on sale. I was lucky to have great sales people at a mall I found 2 blocks away from my place who helped me find a great suit, shirt, and shoes for about A$220. I made friends for life! (Although later I found out the the company will reimburse me for all the clothes I bought while my luggage was missing. Apparently I should have gone hog-wild. Last time someone's luggage was lost, that person spent $3,000.00 in clothes...)
Backing up for a minute, my mood took a 180 when I saw where I would be living. I am staying in a company-sponsored corporate apartment at the Saville on Russell in downtown Melbourne. It has a full kitchen with a stove, oven, dish washer, toaster, microwave, coffee maker, dinnerware, and kitchen utensils. I have my own washer and dryer. There is a kitchen table and chairs, desk, internet connection, phone, living room with couch and coffee table and TV, bedroom with a queen, and a full bathroom. There is also a balcony with doors in my bedroom and the living room. When I arrived there was a cloth bag with complimentary fruit, bread, and jam. Everyday I come home to find my dirty dishes washed and put away; my bed made; the shampoo, soap, laundry detergent, and mini-bar replenished; and the apartment straightened and cleaned. (Yes, I've been bad about the mini-bar... I might get it removed and start buying groceries.) Room Service and movies on-demand are 24-hour luxuries as well. Ladies and gentlemen, I am going to be a spoiled brat.
Anyone want to come visit?
Onto work. A few blocks from the Saville is the 50-story Telstra building, where I work on the 50th floor. The stroll to work hasn't yet failed to be splendid; it makes for a brisk and pleasant morning walk with many other suit-and-tie pedestrians. Passing street cafes brimming with people-watchers, morning papers, conversation, and javaroma makes me happy. Javaroma is not a real word, but I think it well-describes the smell of coffee and bustle of people in the morning.
The coffee machine at work is like my new suitcase: gizmic. I couldn't figure the thing out at first... in fact, the only button I have figured out since the first day is the one for latte, so I drink lattes everyday. There is also breakfast food, snacks, and drinks that we expense to Amdocs.
The biggest change in my surroundings at the office, however, is the space around me at my desk. On both flights to L.A. and Australia I had 2 seats to myself. My cab had been an SUV, and my hotel apartment is a place my college friends and I would pack 12 people into. Room 6 of floor 50 is the size of my bedroom and is lined with table desks, outlets, and ethernet jacks. 7 (seven) of us are parked in there with our laptops and rules-of-thumb of looking both ways before you back up.
I won't talk much about work because even I don't understand it yet, but there are 7 of us on a particular stream of the project, and there is a LOT to do. We are working with IBM - and sometimes it seems like we are working FOR IBM - and there are deadlines, deadlines, deadlines. I have learned that things change daily in this business. This job will be challenging and it will allow me to exercise my people skills, technical skills, communication skills, presentation skills, leadership skills, teamwork skills, BS-ing skills...
Nunchuck skills, bowhunting skills, computer hacking skills...
Anyway! The good news is that the people in Room 6 don't smell bad or make stupid jokes - in fact, they are a lot of fun. They inducted me into the group on Thursday night with dinner, wine, beer, and tequila. (By the way, the food here isn't awesome, but it's not awful. If you find good, specialized, gourmet restaurants, I'm sure it's excellent, but since I'll eat anything, I don't mind settling for OK.) They took me to a bar/restaurant called Transport, but it was too crowded, so we went to the nicer restaurant above it called Taxi. But that was full too, so we went to the lounge on the third level called Transit. What a ride! Anyway, some local friends of my co-workers met us there and taught me how to say things like "Melbun" and "Nahyu". It's amazing how much this group reminds me of friends from home. Brian, there is a guy here who is you to a T. Well he's actually from Kansas, but in general the people born and raised in Melbourne are fantastic too!
Bear with me; I know I can't sign off before describing Melbourne a little bit better. Not counting Singapore, Melbourne is the cleanest, safest city I have ever encountered. My boss described the safety as follows: a girl could walk from one end of the city to the other 20 times in the middle of the night through all the alley-ways and never once run into trouble. Grandmary: not that I would ever do this. Having been here a few days, I haven't seen a single beggar or homeless person. (I'm pretty sure all homeless people get welfare.) The only people I have seen stationed on the streets are musicians and it seems that the only non-well-dressed people are college kids and tourists.
Mom-- beautiful, old churches. Going to one tomorrow but haven't decided which one. The culture... everyone is polite and says their Ps and Qs. The dress... no one's heard of Business Casual or Casual Fridays at work, even at the good ole phone company. (It just cracks me up because the rooms are so cramped and some of the conference rooms are so old - mismatching chairs and everything - and the dress is still suit and tie.)
The weather is a bit nippy at this time of year but nothing a jacket can't handle. I like to describe it as crisp. Other climatic features have proven to be quite interesting, though. Yesterday at 3 pm, we looked out of the office window at a sea of clouds beneath us. We couldn't see the streets or floors 1-35 of any building, but only white cotton candy and the tips of a few surrounding skyscrapers. And the sky of course. Isn't that cool? People were taking pictures because no one had seen anything like it before. I love Australia!
Oye, it's time to bog in and have some tucker. I'm starving.
P.S. Thanks for the comments and e-mails. I miss y'all a ton!
Sunday, June 10, 2007
1-Hour Turn-Around
Friday, June 9, 2007:
7 AM: Woke up.
7:45 AM: Left for work (still the first week of orientation) with no traffic on 400.
8:05 AM: Sat in the office parking lot because I was so early. Wondered when we would find out where our first projects would be. 90% sure at this point that I would be staffed at a local project. I had almost ruled out any chances for Australia and had gotten used to this idea.
8:20 AM: Took 5 steps toward the office and realized that I had locked my keys and computer in the car.
8:30 AM: Training class.
9:30 AM: During break I dealt with the locksmith and coughed up money to get my car unlocked.
10:15 AM: Opened computer.
10:20 AM: Checked e-mail. There was a request for a 10:30 conference call with an Amdocs project manager at the Melbourne office to discuss a position he needed to fill!
10:30 AM - 11 AM: Without preparation I participated in the call and accepted the position without hesitation. My role out there as a rung 1 consultant will be a business analyst role of documenting use cases. Basically I will be testing the software products we plan to implement at Telstra and mapping every possible function of the products.
11 AM: Suddenly had to plan a trip!!!! Told some British, 6-month-tenured consultants in my class that I had to skip next week in orientation, and learned that I could have asked for another week, no matter how much the manager seemed to not want to take me on if I could not be there early next week.
2 PM: Booked my flight with the travel department.
5 PM: Left work.
Rest of the day: Called people. Couldn't stop smiling!
Yesterday: Bought a new suit and necessities.
Today: Bought luggage and packed, packed, packed.
Tomorrow: Finish some new hire paperwork and take off at 8:30 PM to arrive in Melbourne at 7:55 AM.
Some details:
- It is winter over there! Low of 40, mostly.
- I get to come home for a whole week every 4 weeks.
- The position is a temporary one for 3-6 months.
- I have a Per Diem rate, a place to stay that is a 3-minute walk from the office, and I get to build up Frequent Flyer Miles
- Sadly, I have to miss the 4th of July and the Fluke-Shaw wedding. =(
I will post pictures and news over the next few months! Can't wait to share and I hope you enjoy this blog.
More coming soon...
Lane
7 AM: Woke up.
7:45 AM: Left for work (still the first week of orientation) with no traffic on 400.
8:05 AM: Sat in the office parking lot because I was so early. Wondered when we would find out where our first projects would be. 90% sure at this point that I would be staffed at a local project. I had almost ruled out any chances for Australia and had gotten used to this idea.
8:20 AM: Took 5 steps toward the office and realized that I had locked my keys and computer in the car.
8:30 AM: Training class.
9:30 AM: During break I dealt with the locksmith and coughed up money to get my car unlocked.
10:15 AM: Opened computer.
10:20 AM: Checked e-mail. There was a request for a 10:30 conference call with an Amdocs project manager at the Melbourne office to discuss a position he needed to fill!
10:30 AM - 11 AM: Without preparation I participated in the call and accepted the position without hesitation. My role out there as a rung 1 consultant will be a business analyst role of documenting use cases. Basically I will be testing the software products we plan to implement at Telstra and mapping every possible function of the products.
11 AM: Suddenly had to plan a trip!!!! Told some British, 6-month-tenured consultants in my class that I had to skip next week in orientation, and learned that I could have asked for another week, no matter how much the manager seemed to not want to take me on if I could not be there early next week.
2 PM: Booked my flight with the travel department.
5 PM: Left work.
Rest of the day: Called people. Couldn't stop smiling!
Yesterday: Bought a new suit and necessities.
Today: Bought luggage and packed, packed, packed.
Tomorrow: Finish some new hire paperwork and take off at 8:30 PM to arrive in Melbourne at 7:55 AM.
Some details:
- It is winter over there! Low of 40, mostly.
- I get to come home for a whole week every 4 weeks.
- The position is a temporary one for 3-6 months.
- I have a Per Diem rate, a place to stay that is a 3-minute walk from the office, and I get to build up Frequent Flyer Miles
- Sadly, I have to miss the 4th of July and the Fluke-Shaw wedding. =(
I will post pictures and news over the next few months! Can't wait to share and I hope you enjoy this blog.
More coming soon...
Lane
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