Schmoozing

13 05 2008

Checked out of the central Brisbane hotel this morning then took a cab to my new client’s location. Spent three hours there helping the tech writer with some of her issues with Author-it. Then a cab back to the city to pick up my bag and head to train station to catch the train to the Gold Coast. The train ride was about 90 minutes, but NO food/drink vending machines etc. on board and NO toilets. Hello people – this is a 90 minute train trip and many Gold Coast residents and visitors are over 60… My seat smelled like stale urine – at least until the air conditioning kicked in properly. I then caught a cab to the conference venue as I had no idea about the buses etc. Train fare to the Gold Coast from Brisbane: $9.40; cab fare from the Nerang train station to the hotel: $25!!!!

My hotel room is up with the high-flying birds. I’ve got a little balcony and windows to two aspects (can *just* see a glimpse of the ocean from one window). But if I stand on the balcony or close to the bedroom window (pic below) and look down, I get dizzy. The people below look like ants. The views are fab. I’ll post some pictures soon… Here are some pictures.

Caught up with some conference friends from the past few years, then, after Joe’s intro session, a bunch of us went for a terrific meal at the local Malaysian restaurant nearby. We sat outside on the pavement – the weather was beautifully balmy. I had a delicious and spicy curry chicken laksa and a couple of glasses of house red (the only choice of wine by the glass).

But it was the schmoozing and catching up that was fun! There was Dave (US), Mick (Melb), and a new Dave (Syd), Joe (US), Penny + Tony (Melb), Sarah (NZ), Teresa (Syd), Colin (Melb?), Matthew (UK), and a few others whose names I don’t know yet. Lots of talk, lots of laugh, lots of shared accomplishments and horror stories.

Swimming with my own fish again – love it!

The conference proper starts tomorrow at 9am, so I’d better load up the pics and get some shuteye…


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Categories : Life stuff

More Asian food

12 05 2008

Today was my last day working with my main Brisbane client for the next week. I do some work with a new Brisbane client tomorrow – just 3 hours consulting, but there’s possibly more consulting work with them later. And then it’s off to the Gold Coast for my conference later tomorrow.

But tonight I went to Wagamama with M, my boss. We both had the Chilli Chicken Ramen. Good stuff too! Very tasty, and it appeared very healthy as there were lots of fresh ingredients and little fat. And just the right amount of heat and spice for me. Wagamama is predominantly Japanese in style, but there was little evidence of raw fish, the one thing I don’t like about Japanese cuisine. I’d go again. I know from TFP’s blog that there’s at least one in Perth, so maybe the next time I’m in Perth for any length of time, I’ll try to get there. Oh, and I’d already ordered a glass of wine before I saw the apple, mint and lime juice, which sounded delicious. Next time…


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Categories : Food & Wine

Not so happy feet

11 05 2008

Today (Sunday) was ‘being a tourist’ day. After calling my Mum to wish her a happy Mother’s Day, I left the apartment around 9am and wandered down to the Eagle Pier markets. I bought three mandarins and a small gift for D when he visits (hey, big spender!). From the markets I walked along the Brisbane River past the City Botanic Gardens, across the Goodwill Bridge, and along the Southbank area. It was a really nice walk – very pretty and the weather was just gorgeous. Warm, balmy, sunny, and pleasant without being too hot or humid. The only problem was the lack of public restrooms anywhere along the way – it was Southbank before I came across any.

It’s a while since I’ve walked for nearly two hours straight, so my feet were sore! My last stop before heading back was the Queensland State Library where I got allocated a free hour’s access to a computer in the “Info Zone” and used the State Library’s account to do some family tree research on Ancestry.com. And I found out some extra bits of info about a family mystery that may help add some more pieces to the puzzle! So it was a very productive hour… and my feet got a rest for a while.

I walked from the Library back over the Victoria Bridge, down the Queen St Mall and back to where I’m staying with a stop-off at an Indian stall in the food court to grab a bite to eat for lunch. The ‘regular’ size was a bit more than I could eat for lunch, so I had half and may have the other half for dinner tonight. Originally, my immediate boss and I and a couple of others were going to go out for Indian on Friday night, then that got changed to Sunday night, then I heard from her while I was in the Library and it looks like it’s not on at all as she can’t make it.

I thought of doing the ‘City Sights’ hop on/drop off bus tour this afternoon, but decided that my feet needed a rest, and so did I. I also have to prep for my conference presentation on Thursday. And I need to write emails to family in the US to share with them the pieces of the puzzle I’ve found!

Update: More Indian! J called late in the afternoon to see if I wanted to join him for Indian. Is the Pope a Catholic?! Of course! We went to Chutney Mary’s in Wickham Tce. I doubt it’s ANY relation to Chutney Mary’s in Perth… The food was OK, but the service was really quite bad. Two of the items we ordered were off the menu that night (we weren’t told this immediately), and one of the items we ordered the server got wrong. For what we got and the poor service, it was expensive.


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Categories : Australia, Travel

End of the week

11 05 2008

I worked at the client’s head office in Brisbane office all day Friday, then J and V and I went out for a pretty nice meal at Il Centro at Eagle Pier. I had the Black Angus Sirloin (300g) with Bearnaise Sauce and it was superb. The three of us shared two desserts – a delicious Zabbaione (sp?) and a selection of gelatos/gelati?. It was good to catch up with J and V – we all worked together in the previous company’s Perth office and all happened to be in the Brisbane office the same week.

I had Saturday and Sunday to myself, so the decision was ‘what to do?’. After our dinner Friday night, Saturday was taken care of – I found out that V was working all day Saturday and probably most of Sunday to get some stuff finished prior to him going to Malaysia Sunday night. I knew on Friday that there was a new part of the program that I had to document on Monday (I’m not available the rest of the week), and it just so happens that V is one of the main developers on that part of the code! So V and I spent most of Saturday in at the office. He continued development and I documented what already exists. It was great too – he demo’d the software to me, gave me a link to a functioning database, and was on hand if I needed help (which I didn’t). Even better, when I found an ambiguous error message he changed it immediately. And it was quiet! No-one else was around, there were no interruptions of people or phones or emails or IMs… A bit like working from home, really.

Saturday evening J and V and I had another meal together, this time at ZenBar in Anzac Square. I had a really nice and very filling Laksa. It’s really close to where I’m staying and they do delivery and takeouts too, so that’s a good option for future visits, or even this coming Monday night.


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Categories : Life stuff

Safe and sound

8 05 2008

Uneventful drive to Perth, uneventful flight, arrived safe and sound. Uneventful cab ride to hotel, and uneventful check-in. You can’t get any better than that!

Update (later that night): Just dropping off to sleep… when the sound of hammer drills or jackhammers immediately below my room broke through the dream barriers. 10:30pm on a Thursday night is a great time to break up concrete… NOT. Thank goodness I had some ear plugs with me.


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Categories : Life stuff

More computers

8 05 2008

Since I was last in the Qantas Club lounge at Perth Airport (domestic), they’ve made some changes. When I was here 2 months ago it was a bit of a nightmare as they were doing renovations behind screens, so it was all a little cramped.

Well today it was radically different! I walked in and was immediately in the computer area! They must have some 20 computers here now, all with broadband access, and all open on benches. Cool!

No more queuing or waiting for someone to finish. Thanks Qantas! Now to find a snack and a drink…


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Categories : Australia, Travel

Off again

7 05 2008

Tomorrow I head out again—this time just to Queensland. I spend a couple of day’s in my client’s offices, then a half day with a new Queensland client, then it’s off to the Gold Coast for the next conference I’m speaking at. Posts from the conference will be on my professional blog—start looking for them from around May 13.

A few days after I get home, one of the US speakers from the conference—who’s a good friend of ours—arrives to spend a few days with us. I hope the weather is good…


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Categories : Life stuff

Bridgetown training venues

4 05 2008

I gathered all this information late last week about venues in my town that may be suitable for small group training, and didn’t know where to put it, so I figured I may as well blog about it in case others are looking for this information, or in case I need it again (as Steph would say: “Propping up a dodgy memory”!).

All information relates to Bridgetown, Western Australia and is applicable as at 2 May 2008.

I had to find a venue suitable for 2 trainees and a trainer, each with laptops. My requirements were:

  • relatively cheap
  • heated
  • power outlets
  • suitable desks and chairs
  • tea and coffee facilities (not essential)
  • wall or screen to project computer images on to (not essential)

After some phoning and internet searching, I found these venues:

  • Lesser Hall (Shire): $69 / day (there’s also the main Shire hall but it’s very big)
  • Old Yornup School (Shire): $66 / day (tucked in behind the Telecentre)
  • Bridgetown Hotel: $150 / day (function room)
  • Nelsons: $150 / day (function room)
  • Bridgetown Telecentre: $40 /day (conference room or office; they have a computer training room but it is much more expensive as you pay for the use of the computers too)

These venues were also possibilities, though after I inspected the Telecentre’s facilities and signed up for the conference room, I didn’t look any further so I can’t give any more information about them except that they MAY offer suitable space:

  • Bridgetown Gardens function centre
  • Silver Chain community centre
  • St John Ambulance training room
  • Bridgetown Club
  • Bridgetown Bowling Club
  • Bridgetown Golf Club
  • Bridgetown Tennis Club
  • Bridgetown Recreation Centre
  • Bridgetown Family and Community Centre
  • Ford House B&B and function centre
  • Lucieville Farm Chalets

If anyone else knows the Bridgetown area well, and can add to this list of possible venues for a small group, please do so!


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Categories : Business/Work

Chord separation

30 04 2008

David Pogue’s technology blog on The New York Times website alerted me to this amazing technology. I’m not sure if it’s a good thing or not… especially if it’s used to ‘correct’ errors made by long-dead musicians.

Anyhow, see for yourself (7 mins).


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Categories : Life stuff

Half a world away

29 04 2008

I freaked out a friend of mine this morning. She lives on the east coast of the US, and I live on the west coast of Australia. Here’s an edited version of the IM chat we had this morning:

Me: So, when were you going to tell me you were in hospital????
Her: Excuse me??? I just got admitted an hour ago!
Me: Exactly! I’m psychic! 😉
Her: You had to have talked to [husband]
Me: Nope
Her: No one else knows I’m here! ???
Me: Yes they do… keep guessing… not [your son] either… keep thinking
Her: Who?
Me: lol
Her: Heck, they only decided to admit me 3 hrs ago
Me: You drove yourself there, right?
Her: Well, yeah. You got a tracer on my car?
Me: And you have a blood clot, right?
Her: Yes
Me: And you’ve had swollen legs for 3 weeks, right?
Her: Yes. OK, this is freaking me out
Me: And you’re not meant to go up stairs, right?
Her: Right
Her: I didn’t even twitter [Aside: I seriously think she was panicking by now!!]
Me: I can’t keep you in suspense too much longer… who’s birthday is it today?
Her: Oh, duh.

By some weird coincidence, I’d emailed birthday wishes to a friend of hers 24 hours too early. Her friend’s reply email told me the details (including how she’d driven my friend’s husband and son to the hospital just a few minutes earlier), so I decided to play games with her head!

You can run, but you can’t hide! Even from half a world away…

BTW, diagnosis: DVT.


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Categories : Life stuff

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