Josephine's World

Yes you did!

2008-11-06T00:08:00.002+11:00

I'm ecstatic, exhausted, relieved, happy, excited, energized, euphoric... At last, I can say that America, you finally got it right this time.
Yes you did!

Obama at the Al Smith Dinner

2008-10-30T22:33:00.004+11:00

I've heard so many of Obama's speeches. But this one, is so funny, so perfectly crafted, so hilarious, and most of all, so to the point, I just thought you all needed to see it.
This is when Obama gets to have some fun, and gets back at McCain for all those phony, stupid attacks.
A class act!

Click here to watch the speech on Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cen37qxA7E

To My American Friends

2008-10-30T21:57:00.006+11:00

About 10 months ago, I got curious about the US presidential election and decided to watch the Youtube Democratic Debate on, where else, Youtube. I was mostly curious about this Barack Obama guy who seemed to think he had a chance of getting elected President. Go figure.
That's when I got hooked. Literally, I became more and more interested in the issues, the messages, but most of all, I got hooked on his speeches. For about a week after that first debate, I tried to search as many of his speeches, and thought, wow, what an amazing orator, and what a shame he wont make it.
Well, ever since, like so many other people on the planet, I've been following the elections on a daily basis. Maybe it's the PR in me, but I love listening to the "pundits" and the media, and the coverage of coverage of the media, and the flip flops, and the key talking points, and well, everything I can get my eyes on on Youtube (still don't have a TV yet). And more and more, I realised this guy had a real shot. And that was even before the hockey mom came on the scene.
I am disgusted by some of the comments made by media, the bias and the lack of professionalism, and I am in disbelief about the level of ignorance of some Americans. But I do think that, if anything, this has brought out the best and the worst of America, and all of it will be on record. And that, is a good thing.
The primaries with talks of the winds of Iowa, caucusses, delegates and superdelegates seems like such a thing of the past, and when people said Hillary and Obama were going negative, who would have thought it was really a walk in the park? Every day, I admit, I check the latest media coverage of the campaign, and I just cannot believe the kind of trashy, low-class and dishonorable campaign the McCain-Palin ticket are running.
I also managed to make it through the 7 seasons of West Wing, which has really been helpful in understanding the ins and outs of US politics. It's funny, but a lot of times, I have a feeling this election is a carbon copy of the West Wing drama. Don't you think? I mean especially with the Republicans trailing behind, the minority Democratic candidate, the old vs. young.
Anyway, despite the fact that the Republicans have not a leg to stand on, I still cannot say that I am completely sure that they won't win. Which is what has prompt me to write this post:

Please vote for Barack Obama!
I think this is probably the time that people all over the world wished they were Americans. And I don't think that's happened in a long, long time. Imagine that: If only the rest of the world could vote. I actually don't think it's such a crazy notion, after all, we will all be affected one way or another by what happens on November 4th. So, for all of you Americans out there, please, please think about it and vote. Coulda, shoulda, woulda is just not acceptable.
Now get off and vote! Obama 08!

Great Ocean Road Highlights

2008-08-03T16:31:00.008+10:00

So, as you've probably noticed, I couldn't upload the slideshow... And it's taken me two months to get back to this draft. A lot has happened since, but Ithink I better complete this story, before starting another unfinished opus. Anyway, I figured that, instead of giving you a detailed minute by minute account of my trip down the GOR, it be best to skip the tedious parts and focus on the "best" parts, so here goes:

1. Sunset at Castle Cove: Ok, so I'm from Europe, where there is hardly a beach that is untouched. And yet, here we found ourselves in a completely secluded beach, sourrounded by huge cliffs, with an amazing sunset, and ALL to OURSELVES! There was a lonely surfer at the other end, but he was so far away, he looked like an ant with a matchstick. The angry waves bashed against the rocks and the sandwith such intensity and force, you could almost hear them say: "You dare control me? Come on! Let me see you try!" Well, you can imagine, I stayed clear of that fight!

2. Wild life: Along the way between Lorne an, we saw two kangaroos hoping alongside the road, and then on a trail walk up to see Merriner's Falls, we saw a wallaby! I thought Urs was pulling my leg at first, but there it was, hoping along the trail too. The whales on Logan's Beach were a bit of a disappointment, just because it was really cold and they were really far. But, the penguins hanging out at Apollo Bay marina made up for all of that.
And did you know there were llamas in Australia? Well, yes, and they are soooooo cute.

3. Cape Otway Lighthouse: We didn't get to see the Koalas, but this stop is a must on the GOR. It was like stepping back in time. For me though, it was just staring out into the Ocean, and to think that I was, literaly on the edge of the world.

4. La Bimba: This is probably one of the best restaurants I've ever been to. Urs ordered the most amazing deconstructed pork belly a la Top Chef. Seriously, if you ever stop in Apollo Bay, you have to try it.

5. Twelve Apostles: So apart, from the breathtaking scenary, what made this road stop even more incredibly special, was that it had been pouring with rain all morning. Then, when we pulled into the car park, the clouds parted and the sun started to shine, which allowed to observe the coastline in a myriad of shades and lights. Plus, there weren't that many tourists when we arrived, and when we started pulling out of the car park, 3 bus-loads of Chinese, Koreans and Italians were coming in. We just missed the avalanche! Perfect!

Great Ocean Roadtrip

2008-07-30T03:20:00.003+10:00

Tis late at night, and I have discovered yet another cool application, Picasa. It's all coming together now. I'm attempting to link to my Picasa photo gallery and Great Ocean Road slideshow. If you can see it here somewhere, it means I was successful. If you can't, it means I couldn't give a damn and went to bed.

Don't ask, don't get...

2008-07-18T14:28:00.004+10:00

For as long as I can remember, and to use the words made famous by our good friend Forrest Gump, "My momma always used to say: 'Don't ask, don't get'". Not sure if Forrest's mother ever gave him that particular piece of advice, but my momma sure did give it to me. It took a while before I figured out what it really meant, but I think I have a pretty good idea now.

On my way to Spain last April, I found myself staying an extra night in Kuala Lumpur... non-courtesy of KLM airlines. My booking suffered a mysterious malfunction, and I was denied boarding at the airport and given substandard customer service. I'll spare you the details, but you can imagine how quickly your spirits change when you realize the plane you were supposed to be on is no longer blinking on the departure board. We'll never know exactly why my booking was cancelled, or why I wasn't notified about it, but as it so happens, there is always a time and a place to try out the "Don't ask, don't get" theory.

I tried it at the airport first, but it didn't work. I asked to be put on the waiting list, I asked to be put on another flight, I asked to be put up at a hotel... It didn't really work, but I didn't loose faith in my momma's words.

Having a pretty good idea of what setbacks traveling may involve, I wrote a letter to KLM after I returned from Spain (after my initial anger had abatted and could actually talk about the incident without a demented tone in my voice), demanded an explanation, and asked for a full refund for my ticket. Truth be told, apart from the incident at the airport, the staff at KLM headquarters in KL as well as the KLM customer service staff were quick in attending to my requests and investigating the nature of the incident. And as a result, I have been reimbursed the full airfare (return ticket) from KL to Amsterdam. Yey!

Not bad, huh? Remember, "Don't ask, don't get". You may not always "get", but you should always "ask"... just in case!

Oh, and my piece of trivia for the day: What's the capital of The Netherlands? Well, according to the constitution it's Amsterdam, but the government sits in The Hague. This causes a lot of confusion, but Amsterdam is usually preferred by trivia quizzes (or so I've heard).

A windy day

2008-07-11T03:18:00.002+10:00

The one thing I still cannot for the life of me understand is where does this wind come from? I mean, one moment it's calm, and next thing you know, your skirt's in the air...Now, if you live in Melbourne, it's 10 times worse than that. Like today, for example, I thought for a moment I'd beat the ferry to Tasmania.
And don't even get me started on the rain... I've had clothes up on the clothes line for 4 days, but I've never happen to be around during the brief, yet bountiful rain showers that totally soak through my garments... What is a girl to do, I ask?

Ten things I like about my life today...

2008-07-09T00:25:00.004+10:00

Waking up and not knowing if it's 7 or 11. And not having to worry about it.
Full breakfast of toasts with butter, jam and sharp cheddar cheese, and yummy Atomica coffee
Riding my bike through puddles of water and hearing the squish squism the tires make on the dry pavement
Watching the neighbor's fat cat slowly tred along the edge of my patio fence, oblivious to me
Walking down the street and imagining what it must have been like 100 years ago
Winning at chess, and have bragging rights for a day
Falling asleep on my comfy green couch and being woken up with a kiss
Cooking an amazing meal that I've never made before, and seeing my BF's eyes roll in delight
Taking an extra minute under the shower, just because... (but only a minute, two would be way too wasteful)
Finding the perfect pair of boots... on sale!

The pressure's on!

2008-07-05T00:18:00.004+10:00

I was chatting with a friend on MSN today, and I found out that he had checked out my blog. I don't recall having told anyone about Josephine's World, but I guess I must have mentioned it on facebook, or maybe MSN messenger???

I was planning on a soft launch, you know, telling a few friends here and there, to get some initial feedback, but seeing as I've already spilled the beans, well, please fill out the survey and let me know what you'd rather I talked about.

Toudoulou!

What side of the road is right?

2008-07-03T23:07:00.005+10:00

So, three weeks later, and things are starting to happen... Kinda... I tried posting two times (totally true, although I know what you're thinking). The first time, I logged out without saving (duh) and the second time, my hard drive malfunctioned... (DUH DUH DUDUH) But now that I got myself a brand new 160 GB hard drive, I'm ready to rumble!

Melbourne is getting cold! But ofcourse, skinny long-legged 20-year old girls dont seem to care about the winter chills, nooooooooo, they continue to walk in flip flops and wear minis with no nylons...and forget the coat! Who needs one of those anyway? My boyfriend says I'm old fashioned, that they can dress however the hell they want... Ah, true, it is a free world, but I get cold just looking at them! To compensate, I've been walking around in my very, very, very warm coat that I bought in Korea last winter (i.e. three months ago) and have been very cozy indeed. Not sure what I'll wear when it gets colder, but we'll just have to cross that bridge when we get there.

And speaking of crossing, I keep waiting for the tram on the wrong side of the street. I take an extra second to think about it, but I always end up on the wrong side. It's just not something that comes naturally... yet. So, I wait and wait, and when the tram eventually does come, that's when I realize it's going in the opposite direction that I'm going in. The real bummer is when the one that IS going in the direction I am going in happens to come first, but the doors open to the other side of the street, and then, like the idiot that I am, have to cross the street, and wait for the next tram to come along. Ah, the shame. So embarrassing. It looks like I'm crossing the street for no reason whatsoever!

I'm trying though. I do occasionally get it right, especially at stops that I already know. Just a few more months, and I think I'll manage... But oh dear, do not let me drive just yet. I'm very happy with my bike!

Incidentally, in case you are wondering, about 25% of countries drive on the left. This is because in the good ol' days of no motorized transportation and violent feudal guys with swords, most people prefered to handle the weapon with their right hand, thus making it logical to prefer walking or riding on the left side of the road. Britain took the practice overseas to its colonies, and now, most of its ex- colonies still continue to drive on the left. The US and France were the first countries to start the practice of driving on the right side of the road, and then Napoleon brought the idea to other countries in Europe.

In Myanmar, for example, people drive on the right side of the road, but since most cars are Japanese imported, the driver's seat is also located on the right of the car. Thank goodness they don't have that many cars!

Anyway, if you want to read more, go to Why do some countries drive on the right and others on the left? You'll learn a thing or two for trivia night... You never know when it may come in handy!

See ya!

Who is John Galt?

2008-06-10T22:16:00.007+10:00

"If you saw Atlas, the giant who holds the world on his shoulders, if you saw that he stood, blood running down his chest, his knees buckling, his arms trembling but still trying to hold the world aloft with he last of his strength, and the greater his effort the heavier the world bore down upon his shoulders--what would you tell him to do?"

"I...don't know. What...could he do? What would you tell him?"

"To shrug."

If you haven't read Atlas Shrugged yet, please put it on your list. NOW. Don't wait, and certainly, don't be intimidated by the number of pages. I read somewhere that it is one of the longest works of fiction in the English language, but once you read it, you will know it is not without reason.

In Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rands tells the story of a dystopian society's where values like mercy, pity and need are put before self-interest, happiness and knowledge, where the spirit of man is stripped of all value, production is seen as evil and profit-making businessmen are despised among the "public". Not until the "mind" is removed from society, do people start to understand the enourmous weight that men of mind have been carrying on their shoulders. And even then, some continue to disbelieve. Rand's philosophy is radical and extreme, yet I couldn't stop thinking about it even weeks after I made it through1069 pages.

I often caught myself being totally engrossed in the philosophy of objectism that Ayn Rand is weiving in her magnun opus, trying to understand its implications, and thinking of the world today. I still wonder what would Ayn Rand would think in today's global world, and what would she write? Would she still advocate to let the market decide and leave government out of it? Would she agree with the bailout? Who do think she would vote for in this 2008 election?

Too many questions, but please do read the book. Apart from having the best title, it is a truly amazing experience.

Hellooooooooooooo Visa!

2008-06-06T12:56:00.002+10:00

Today is a great day! I got my Visa Subclass 461 granted and I can now say that Im a resident of Australia, yey! After putting together a fairly comprehensive application package (with post its, index tabs and crossreferences and all) it finally paid off. It's not exactly a PR, but its a 5-year temporary visa with full working permits.
So, now I'm off to find a job. Wish me luck!

Is a powerpoint CV a good idea?

2008-06-06T02:37:00.005+10:00

I've been researching the web for a simple answer to whether or not I should include a PowerPoint version of my CV in my job hunt strategy. What's most frustrating about my research is not the lack of opinion, but the lack of consensus. Some people even advocate getting rid of CVs altogether, but most either say "hell no!" or "go for it!: Here are some of the opinions (and my comments in parenthesis):

If its a marketing job you are seeking, then definitely be creative!
Send a conventional word CV, and attach a powerpoint version were you can include more details that would not fit on CV (this is actually what I was planning to do)
Employers hate ppt presentations, cause it hurts their eyes when they have to read it on the screen (Printers do exist in the HR world, right?)
Some employers wont have PowerPoint on computer (What???? No powerpoint?)
First send a word CV, and bring a CD/USB with additional material, such as ppt presentation, video, etc.

So, I'm confused. I thought a ppt presentation would help me include some details about myself that I would not normally put in a conventional CV, such as time alotment, case studies, international background, etc. Would I be giving too much away, or would it be a good icebreaker during an interview? Would it make you want to know more, or would have enough?

What do you think?

Welcome to My World

2008-05-27T15:07:00.001+10:00

Perhaps it's a little late, but it was about time I entered the blogging world... I've been in Australia now for almost 3 months, minus one where I went to Spain to visit mom, including several stopovers here and there. However, as the title implies, this is a welcoming message to all of you, and a warm hearted welcome to my new world: Melbourne, Australia.A lot of people ask me what I have been up to, and the answer is "a bit of this and that"! I've taken time to move in to our new apartment, and let me tell you, buying furniture on a budget is more time consuming than you would imagine! I've also taken time to start cooking again, and loving it! I've also bought a bike and love biking through Melbourne's beautiful neighbourhoods. I also spent a lot of time preparing my visa application, and application to Melbourne Business School (just took a math test that didn't go all that well, but I'm keeping fingers crossed). The next step is starting to look for a job, in hopes that my visa will get sorted out soon.In case you are wondering how the hell I ended up in Melbourne, well the answer is simple: Love makes the world go around... Or, in my case, love makes me go around the world! Urs has started a Masters of Environment at Melbourne University, and I decided to tag along. It's probably temporary, but with us, you never know how long "temporary" means. So stay tuned to next developments!I wont bore you with anymore for now, but I promise to think of something interesting to write next time. This is, after all, just a first try!

Josephine's World

Yes you did!

Twitter Updates

Obama at the Al Smith Dinner

Twitter Updates

To My American Friends

Twitter Updates

Great Ocean Road Highlights

Twitter Updates

Great Ocean Roadtrip

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Don't ask, don't get...

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A windy day

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Ten things I like about my life today...

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The pressure's on!

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What side of the road is right?

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Who is John Galt?

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Hellooooooooooooo Visa!

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Is a powerpoint CV a good idea?

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Welcome to My World

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