Monday, November 9, 2009
Newtown Festival
I had such a good time at the festival yesterday and amazingly pulled out a few good photos. I say "amazingly" because the rain made everything harder. People were unhappy and running for cover and I was constantly trying to shield my camera and wipe water off the lens. But I did get some good photos and in the end, I had a good time. I also had a moment to run around and look at a few stalls (very good) while sampling to food (extra good). And being a volunteer had it's perks: a t-shirt, a backpack, a free meal at the festival, and a thank-you dinner later this week. All in all, it was a good day.
Monday, November 2, 2009
More Jobs!
I am super excited because today I got another photography gig for the Newtown Festival--which is a big deal. These photos will definitely be used on the website and for future promotions plus there is a good chance they will be sent out to newpapers too.
Wow! This is SUCH a good opportunity and I can't WAIT to be a part of this! The Newtown Festival is located in Camperdown Memorial Park--literally one block away from my house--and will be an all day event with a dog show, a writer's tent, lots of food, yoga, a magic show, face painting, and of course, concerts. There is so much to do and so much to photograph! I'm going to be busy!
Wow! This is SUCH a good opportunity and I can't WAIT to be a part of this! The Newtown Festival is located in Camperdown Memorial Park--literally one block away from my house--and will be an all day event with a dog show, a writer's tent, lots of food, yoga, a magic show, face painting, and of course, concerts. There is so much to do and so much to photograph! I'm going to be busy!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Welcome Mason Jeremiah Thoma!!!
Last week my brother JJ and his wife Nikki gave birth to a baby boy!
Mason Jeremiah Thoma was born October 22, 2009 5:53am 20" long 7lbs 15 oz. with lots of blond hair!
Mason Jeremiah Thoma was born October 22, 2009 5:53am 20" long 7lbs 15 oz. with lots of blond hair!
This is really so exciting for everyone and especially for JJ and Nikki! I haven't had many opportunities to talk with my brother since I left home a while ago but we got to talk for about an hour on Monday and it was so great to hear him talk about his baby and his family. He sounds so grown-up!
I can't wait to go home and finally meet Mason as well as my sister's baby Ally--hopefully we can make the trip this winter/spring. In the mean time, I'll be saving up for a present as well. If you have a kid, please tell me what you found most useful and if there is anything you just couldn't have done it without, let me know. I really want to give them a nice gift. :)
Congratulations JJ and Nikki!!
Exhausted
I don't have much energy to write this week. It was a busy, busy weekend as we had our house warming party (which went super well). We had about 10 people over in all; we drank wine, showed our travel photos, ate delicious appetizers made by your's truly (salmon, feta, basil, and grapes on a baguette slice--yum!), and really just enjoyed having friends over. Oh, and we also enjoyed having a SUPER clean house! Wow! One of those: "I had no idea all of this was under all of that!" kind of moments...
Among our 10 friend was a new couple of friends (Matt and Lisa) whom we met at a birthday party the weekend before. They were teachers in Japan a few years back so we hit it off right away talking about all our teaching experiences (Matt and Lisa met each other while teaching too). It really is so nice to have another couple to be friends with. I like all our single friends too but it's just nice in an unexplainable way.
The other cool thing about them is that Lisa works as a director for a local language college and wants me to do some photography for them! Apparently they are in great need of a new look for their school and publications so I may have some more stuff coming my way which is super exciting.
Other than that, I've just been busy working at Thomson Reuters again. Today I almost went nuts though trying to work with one of the website developers. It's really hard being in this position sometimes because I know zilch about web design/maintenance. I'm learning though and hopefully making myself an invaluable employee! I've been told that they want me there for atleast 4 weeks (which is good) but let's hope it's more. I think I like being there and it's nice working with/near Jeremy too.
Among our 10 friend was a new couple of friends (Matt and Lisa) whom we met at a birthday party the weekend before. They were teachers in Japan a few years back so we hit it off right away talking about all our teaching experiences (Matt and Lisa met each other while teaching too). It really is so nice to have another couple to be friends with. I like all our single friends too but it's just nice in an unexplainable way.
The other cool thing about them is that Lisa works as a director for a local language college and wants me to do some photography for them! Apparently they are in great need of a new look for their school and publications so I may have some more stuff coming my way which is super exciting.
Other than that, I've just been busy working at Thomson Reuters again. Today I almost went nuts though trying to work with one of the website developers. It's really hard being in this position sometimes because I know zilch about web design/maintenance. I'm learning though and hopefully making myself an invaluable employee! I've been told that they want me there for atleast 4 weeks (which is good) but let's hope it's more. I think I like being there and it's nice working with/near Jeremy too.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
You mean, it's not the end of the world?
Thanks for everyone's understanding and encouragement regarding my job at Mission Australia. I finished there yesterday and I am so glad to be gone. I don't know what to say except that I am sure, without a doubt, that this is the right decision for me.
There are lots of reasons adding that make me so confident in that decision. Some of it has to do with the professionalism and the personalities at work there, some of it has to do with the kind of work I was doing, but in the end the most confirming moment was on that last day's lunch break. I was talking with several people with whom I was working with and for the first time they really opened up about how they felt about their work--and everyone wanted to leave. When those still in the job look at you with a mix of excitement and jealousy about your future, that's not really a good sign. I don't think I need to rehash what they said but it was enough to confirm what I had already suspected.
But I'm gone now and they gave me such a wonderful going away party. I really didn't expect it and truly felt like I didn't deserve it but they showed me that even in my one week there, I had won their appreciation and respect and that friendships--however infantile--had been made. The bought me cupcakes, gave me a card and sent me emails to wish me luck in the pursuit of my dreams. There was so much grace in what they did. They could have easily been angry or bitter about the whole thing but they weren't. They were kind and loving and because I got that response, I feel even more confident in my decision. I really do feel like I did what was right and it seems that by putting some good integrity into the world, the world gave me a little love back.
After leaving work for the last time, I went on to have the most wonderful day I've had in weeks. I happend upon an amazing promotion by one of Sydney's celebrity-preferred salons which allows me to have a massage, a consultation, a coloring, and a cut by a senior stylist all for $140 (which oh my God, I need so bad--birthday money from Mom and Grandma at work here!), I found a cheap and intriguing book to pass the time with, and I met Jeremy and his co-workers in the park for some delicious Malaysian food at the Syndey Food Fesitval Night Noodle Market. And when we came home, I went to bed at 8:30 and got my first full night of sleep in weeks.
I feel relieved and happy again. I feel total peace about the whole thing and I really am excited about what's around the corner. I talked with the temp agency this morning too and it looks like Thomson Reuters is really excited to have me back (I was temping there before Mission Australia) and they want me to start on Friday this week. But not only that, they are also going to increase my work days from three to four per week which is good news too because we'll need the money.
I've also had some really great feed back from Sydney Tall Ships about the photos I did a couple weeks ago. They were so happy with them that they intend to use several of them on their website, publications and at their booth in Circular Quay (I'll give you a link when I know they are up) and they invited me back to do more photos and bring Jeremy along too. So, Sunday night we were off for a BBQ cruise just! It was really fun and so great to be out and enjoying the beautiful summer weather. This experience has given me lots of confidence and I feel prepared to really make an attempt of photography as a professional. Jeremy and I have been talking about it a bit and we've decided that until I get my new residency visa, I'll keep doing it for free. Once I'm a resident, I'll apply for a business number and make something happen. But I'm excited--really excited!--about seeing my real dreams happen!
And with regard to my visa, we're still drumming up background checks (there are a lot to be done). But I've got almost everyone of them in process at the moment and I'm getting the rest of my application done too. Since I don't start again at Thomson until Friday, I'll have tomorrow to clean and write my statement which will of course, be a joy.
Which also reminds me that this weekend we will be hosting our official house warming party. I wish you all could be there as I won't know more half of the people coming (they're Jeremy's friends) and there should be photos of that coming early next week.
As you can see, I'm busy and a lot of things are happening at the moment, but I feel like I've been freed and I'm extremely happy. And that's a very good thing.
There are lots of reasons adding that make me so confident in that decision. Some of it has to do with the professionalism and the personalities at work there, some of it has to do with the kind of work I was doing, but in the end the most confirming moment was on that last day's lunch break. I was talking with several people with whom I was working with and for the first time they really opened up about how they felt about their work--and everyone wanted to leave. When those still in the job look at you with a mix of excitement and jealousy about your future, that's not really a good sign. I don't think I need to rehash what they said but it was enough to confirm what I had already suspected.
But I'm gone now and they gave me such a wonderful going away party. I really didn't expect it and truly felt like I didn't deserve it but they showed me that even in my one week there, I had won their appreciation and respect and that friendships--however infantile--had been made. The bought me cupcakes, gave me a card and sent me emails to wish me luck in the pursuit of my dreams. There was so much grace in what they did. They could have easily been angry or bitter about the whole thing but they weren't. They were kind and loving and because I got that response, I feel even more confident in my decision. I really do feel like I did what was right and it seems that by putting some good integrity into the world, the world gave me a little love back.
After leaving work for the last time, I went on to have the most wonderful day I've had in weeks. I happend upon an amazing promotion by one of Sydney's celebrity-preferred salons which allows me to have a massage, a consultation, a coloring, and a cut by a senior stylist all for $140 (which oh my God, I need so bad--birthday money from Mom and Grandma at work here!), I found a cheap and intriguing book to pass the time with, and I met Jeremy and his co-workers in the park for some delicious Malaysian food at the Syndey Food Fesitval Night Noodle Market. And when we came home, I went to bed at 8:30 and got my first full night of sleep in weeks.
I feel relieved and happy again. I feel total peace about the whole thing and I really am excited about what's around the corner. I talked with the temp agency this morning too and it looks like Thomson Reuters is really excited to have me back (I was temping there before Mission Australia) and they want me to start on Friday this week. But not only that, they are also going to increase my work days from three to four per week which is good news too because we'll need the money.
I've also had some really great feed back from Sydney Tall Ships about the photos I did a couple weeks ago. They were so happy with them that they intend to use several of them on their website, publications and at their booth in Circular Quay (I'll give you a link when I know they are up) and they invited me back to do more photos and bring Jeremy along too. So, Sunday night we were off for a BBQ cruise just! It was really fun and so great to be out and enjoying the beautiful summer weather. This experience has given me lots of confidence and I feel prepared to really make an attempt of photography as a professional. Jeremy and I have been talking about it a bit and we've decided that until I get my new residency visa, I'll keep doing it for free. Once I'm a resident, I'll apply for a business number and make something happen. But I'm excited--really excited!--about seeing my real dreams happen!
And with regard to my visa, we're still drumming up background checks (there are a lot to be done). But I've got almost everyone of them in process at the moment and I'm getting the rest of my application done too. Since I don't start again at Thomson until Friday, I'll have tomorrow to clean and write my statement which will of course, be a joy.
Which also reminds me that this weekend we will be hosting our official house warming party. I wish you all could be there as I won't know more half of the people coming (they're Jeremy's friends) and there should be photos of that coming early next week.
As you can see, I'm busy and a lot of things are happening at the moment, but I feel like I've been freed and I'm extremely happy. And that's a very good thing.
The Love of My Life
I knew I could never love any other person when Jeremy told me he owned and OED. Now, for those of you who don't know what the OED is, shame on you. This is practically a sacred book in my opinion. It is the most authoritative dictionary in the English language, not only defining each word, but showing you where and how it has been used in literature throughout the decades.
The Oxford English Dictionary is normally encased by 27 or so volumes of bound books but Jeremy has a second edition condensed version in microform which you read by a magnifying glass with a little light attached (as seen above). I have always felt that owning one would be impossible as they are so big and rather pricey but meeting, falling in love and marrying someone who already does is close enough. So, yes, I/we/he have an OED and the other night we returned to our nerdy, love of English ways and read it in bed.
This is the kind of thing we do. At the end of the day, it's not the poems, the flowers, the dishes or sweet words he says that make me love Jeremy (though he does all that and so much more). It's the quiet moments, alone in our house, reading the dictionary in the dark, comfy in our bed, and enjoying our mutual nerdiness that make me sure he is the only soul on this planet capable of communing with mine.
The Oxford English Dictionary is normally encased by 27 or so volumes of bound books but Jeremy has a second edition condensed version in microform which you read by a magnifying glass with a little light attached (as seen above). I have always felt that owning one would be impossible as they are so big and rather pricey but meeting, falling in love and marrying someone who already does is close enough. So, yes, I/we/he have an OED and the other night we returned to our nerdy, love of English ways and read it in bed.
This is the kind of thing we do. At the end of the day, it's not the poems, the flowers, the dishes or sweet words he says that make me love Jeremy (though he does all that and so much more). It's the quiet moments, alone in our house, reading the dictionary in the dark, comfy in our bed, and enjoying our mutual nerdiness that make me sure he is the only soul on this planet capable of communing with mine.
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