I'm going underground! Woooo! I was innocently sitting at my desk this morning and got shouted at to get into the boardroom...after spending 2secs wondering what I'd done wrong and whether they were gonna sack me I went and got told that as the only engineer in the building that isn't completely stacked with work I'm being sent to one of the oldest and most established coal mines in the country to do some troubleshooting. It turns out that we've been supplying rigs with dodgy seals for well over a year and the quick-fix of new seals isn't working out so me and one of the draftsmen who designed it (no engineering knowledge!) are being sent to try and work out what's causing the seals to wear and essentially fail. I'm excited about going but slightly nervous after reading through dozens of e-mails today that have gone back and forth between us and the mine. It looks like there are gonna be some very hacked off production managers and operators there as the dodgy seals have cost them mega-big-bucks in lost production time....
For those of you that haven't worked it out that means I'll be spending my 22nd birthday hundreds of feet undergound watching a rig go up, then down, then up, then down, then up, repeat *ad infinitum*. It's a 4-5hr drive home so I should be back in Newcastle just before midnight and the end of my birthday, hardcore! I was meant to be doing my motorbike training on the 4/5th but have to postpone that now for another few weeks... damnit.
So this weekend I've got a work xmas party, on the 1st November! WTF? I'm not gonna complain though, is a good excuse for a piss-up and should actually meet some people from the office I spent 3weeks at in September. Unfortunately my favorite pub has been shut down by the police so the closing party I was going to won't happen, need to find something else for tomorrow night now...hmmmm.
That's about it for this thrilling installment, my sunburn has faded to a nice brown tan so will be hitting the beach some more this weekend if the weather holds. Saw a whale off the beach to day too, go me!
30 October 2008
27 October 2008
Women...
are also fucking morons! Yes I'm still harping on about the moron but this time it's slightly more specific. He may be tall, blonde and good looking but the guy is slower than the tectonic plates and has fuck-all in the way of conversational abilities, this doesn't seem to bother the women in the office. Every last one of them goes up to him when they come in the office and stands there giggling in that oh-so-fucking-irritating way, twirling their hair and blushing. I can't believe they spend so much time and effort flirting with a bloke who could barely pass a yr6 SATS exam! If he wasn't in the same office I probably wouldn't have even noticed let alone cared but I'm getting mighty sick of hearing said oh-so-fucking-irritating giggling especially when I'm trying to do some work and he can't even give me the most basic instructions without me questioning him for 10mins to make sure he's told me the right thing.
On other, slightly less vitriolic news, I have nothing to say. Did bugger all over the weekend and shall probably carry on doing the same for the foreseeable future. Nught get some photos up before the weekend....
On other, slightly less vitriolic news, I have nothing to say. Did bugger all over the weekend and shall probably carry on doing the same for the foreseeable future. Nught get some photos up before the weekend....
21 October 2008
Some People...
Are fucking morons.
One of the apprentices at work needs to be put down, seriously. Our convo this afternoon was a little like this:
RTC: so in the materials listing is it a block or a sheet?
Moron: a sheet
RTC: It looks too thick for a sheet...
Moron: it's a block of course
RTC: so I enter it as a block?
Moron: no, it's obviously a sheet.
*goes off into a mumbling 5min explanation of why a block 50x50x90mm should be a sheet not a block*
Fuck-me-sideways that was a painful conversation! It must have dragged on for another 20mins with the moron throwing in needless explanations of irrelevant bollocks and contradicting himself everytime he spoke. Unfortunately as he was meant to be showing me the ropes I just had to grit my teeth and breath deeply.
Other than that work has been fairly good for the last 2-3 days. I've finally got my own desk and PC so I have been cracking on with some real work; drafting, detailing etc. My boss is hunting down a laptop for me and now I've got my SGS card I can be sent underground... should be a trip to Ulan Coal in the next week or so. The pretty, blonde admin girl spent 20mins rounding me up a bunch of stationary today too...fuck knows why! She asked me if anyone had given me any pens (wtf?) and when I said no she promptly dissapeared and returned 10mins later with an armful of pens/pencils/sharpeners/rulers/post-it-notes/cellotape/you-name-it-it-was-there. I know I should never turn free stationary but it seems slightly pointless as I'm working in the design office and 99.9% of everyone's work is done on a PC but heyho! I even have my own desk calendar so I can count the days til I leave...joy!
The weathers been pretty weird here this week, was scorching on sunday, I managed to get a wee bit of sunburn on the beach (bloody hurts) then a few hours later we had spectacular storms with sheet lightning and the loudest thunder I've ever heard. The same again last night too... I love having a balcony I can stand on and watch the storm head out to sea.
2wks til my birthday...hmmm. Not so sure about this one. I don't actually have a key for my postbox atm so any mail I get might not be picked up for a couple of weeks... I don't have a clue what'll happen with parcels (yeh I know I'm getting at least 2 so there!) so that should be interesting. I think I'm gonna have a 22nd/flatwarming party on the 7th and invite everyone I've met and some randoms lol. Few crates of beer, snacks and I might even fire up the mahoosive gas BBQ if the weather is good.
Talking about food: Mum, you'd be proud, I actually boiled down a chicken carcass and made soup from scratch like we used to have at home... carrots, celery, lentils, herbs etc etc all boiled for about 2 days til I ended up with a damn fine tasting chicken 'n''veg soup/stew. Tonight it's beef stroganoff, I've found cooking properly keeps me occupied and stops me spending cash on crap like pizza/maccy-d's. Gonna marinate me some steaks too and have a proper BBQ one weekend.
Right, I've been writing so long I don't have a clue what I've said and what still needs to be written down. Ummm... I've sent some postcards out to a few people, more on the way...my english phone is busted so if you need me use (+61) 429 912 214... I miss all of you so fucking leave comments you CUNTS!!!
xxx
One of the apprentices at work needs to be put down, seriously. Our convo this afternoon was a little like this:
RTC: so in the materials listing is it a block or a sheet?
Moron: a sheet
RTC: It looks too thick for a sheet...
Moron: it's a block of course
RTC: so I enter it as a block?
Moron: no, it's obviously a sheet.
*goes off into a mumbling 5min explanation of why a block 50x50x90mm should be a sheet not a block*
Fuck-me-sideways that was a painful conversation! It must have dragged on for another 20mins with the moron throwing in needless explanations of irrelevant bollocks and contradicting himself everytime he spoke. Unfortunately as he was meant to be showing me the ropes I just had to grit my teeth and breath deeply.
Other than that work has been fairly good for the last 2-3 days. I've finally got my own desk and PC so I have been cracking on with some real work; drafting, detailing etc. My boss is hunting down a laptop for me and now I've got my SGS card I can be sent underground... should be a trip to Ulan Coal in the next week or so. The pretty, blonde admin girl spent 20mins rounding me up a bunch of stationary today too...fuck knows why! She asked me if anyone had given me any pens (wtf?) and when I said no she promptly dissapeared and returned 10mins later with an armful of pens/pencils/sharpeners/rulers/post-it-notes/cellotape/you-name-it-it-was-there. I know I should never turn free stationary but it seems slightly pointless as I'm working in the design office and 99.9% of everyone's work is done on a PC but heyho! I even have my own desk calendar so I can count the days til I leave...joy!
The weathers been pretty weird here this week, was scorching on sunday, I managed to get a wee bit of sunburn on the beach (bloody hurts) then a few hours later we had spectacular storms with sheet lightning and the loudest thunder I've ever heard. The same again last night too... I love having a balcony I can stand on and watch the storm head out to sea.
2wks til my birthday...hmmm. Not so sure about this one. I don't actually have a key for my postbox atm so any mail I get might not be picked up for a couple of weeks... I don't have a clue what'll happen with parcels (yeh I know I'm getting at least 2 so there!) so that should be interesting. I think I'm gonna have a 22nd/flatwarming party on the 7th and invite everyone I've met and some randoms lol. Few crates of beer, snacks and I might even fire up the mahoosive gas BBQ if the weather is good.
Talking about food: Mum, you'd be proud, I actually boiled down a chicken carcass and made soup from scratch like we used to have at home... carrots, celery, lentils, herbs etc etc all boiled for about 2 days til I ended up with a damn fine tasting chicken 'n''veg soup/stew. Tonight it's beef stroganoff, I've found cooking properly keeps me occupied and stops me spending cash on crap like pizza/maccy-d's. Gonna marinate me some steaks too and have a proper BBQ one weekend.
Right, I've been writing so long I don't have a clue what I've said and what still needs to be written down. Ummm... I've sent some postcards out to a few people, more on the way...my english phone is busted so if you need me use (+61) 429 912 214... I miss all of you so fucking leave comments you CUNTS!!!
xxx
11 October 2008
New Flat...No Internet
So I moved into the new flat on Wednesday, it's wicked but I can't put the pics up yet as am in an internet cafe... Will be getting wireless sorted asap. I've got a spare bedroom with its own balcony so those of you wanting to come stay start looking at flights!
I'm only 15mins walk from the centre of the city centre (??) and within 2mins walk I've got a 24hr supermarket with a bundle of other shops, a metal pub, 4/5 other pubs, 3 tattoo shops, 2 "adult" shops, a strip club and a brothel!! The area is half scummy half brand new and people keep telling me not to go out at night alone but so far I've out after dark every night and barely seen anyone, let alone anyone who poses a threat.
I can actually go and socialise of an evening now, there's a second metal pub about 15mins away, went there last night and watched 3 quality metal bands. Will be going back there tonight as they have 3 more bands and the atmosphere is great there as well as having the cheapest beer I've found yet.
I've finally sorted my motorbike training out, am booked in on the 4/5th of November so can go and celebrate my birthday in style after passing the training :D Looking at getting a CBR250 or ZXR-250 maybe...we'll have to see what's around when I get my license.
Hope everything's going well back in England, freshers seems to be going pretty well, I'm gutted I'm missing out but meh...
Oh and I know Gary Hughes was back at CSM recruiting mining engineers for this year out next year...my advice is go for it!! Even if you're not sure just apply for it and have an interview. It's been pretty awesome so far (this blog makes it sound bad cus I like to whinge!) and you'll have a wicked time as well as learning shit loads about the industry.
Stay safe...
I'm only 15mins walk from the centre of the city centre (??) and within 2mins walk I've got a 24hr supermarket with a bundle of other shops, a metal pub, 4/5 other pubs, 3 tattoo shops, 2 "adult" shops, a strip club and a brothel!! The area is half scummy half brand new and people keep telling me not to go out at night alone but so far I've out after dark every night and barely seen anyone, let alone anyone who poses a threat.
I can actually go and socialise of an evening now, there's a second metal pub about 15mins away, went there last night and watched 3 quality metal bands. Will be going back there tonight as they have 3 more bands and the atmosphere is great there as well as having the cheapest beer I've found yet.
I've finally sorted my motorbike training out, am booked in on the 4/5th of November so can go and celebrate my birthday in style after passing the training :D Looking at getting a CBR250 or ZXR-250 maybe...we'll have to see what's around when I get my license.
Hope everything's going well back in England, freshers seems to be going pretty well, I'm gutted I'm missing out but meh...
Oh and I know Gary Hughes was back at CSM recruiting mining engineers for this year out next year...my advice is go for it!! Even if you're not sure just apply for it and have an interview. It's been pretty awesome so far (this blog makes it sound bad cus I like to whinge!) and you'll have a wicked time as well as learning shit loads about the industry.
Stay safe...
7 October 2008
Ugh
So this weekend was a complete waste of time...almost entirely due to the fact that I didn't get any further than the shops across the road.
After going for drinks and a meal on Friday night with people from work I slept in on Saturday which wrote off the day completely. There's been a fuck-up with paying for my cabs to work and back so I'm paying for them atm then claiming it back on expenses...wouldn't be a problem except I earn about $60 a day and the cabs cost $80. This means I chewed through my last paycheque and am now spending my motorbike money. So basically I don't feel able to spend any money that's not entirely neccessary just incase I end up not having the cash to get to work. I know I'll get it all back in 2wks but it's not much fun. Over here the shops all shut at 1pm-ish on a Saturday, few open on Sunday and then 1pm again today cus of the public holiday. So sleeping in all 3 days has meant I haven't been able to get into town before the shops shut. Not to mention that the buses stop stupidly early on Sundays/public holidays and I can't afford a cab.
Which leads me nicely on to the whole reason(s) I needed to go into town...
Passport Pics: very few places have the machines so need to hunt for one.
Visa: once i've got the pics need to post the forms.
Postcards: got quite a few to post to people.
Lighter: got to go to the tobacconist to get the flint sorted on my petrol lighter.
Books: really need something to fill the time.
Yeh I haven't even posted my visa forms off yet...can't do til I find a passport pic machine and they're like rocking horse shit over here! The best bit is that having a full time job means I can't get them done til next weekend now... am getting shit off my boss every day about the forms but there's nowt I can do.
Now for something totally different... Got a really weird call yesterday to the phone in my flat...was from a security company that monitors alarms, turns out there was an alarm at the company office in Hexham. That in itself isn't strange but they had my name down as a keyholder!! Fuck knows why they had my name and number (I haven't given ANYONE that number, I don't even know it!) but let alone having me down as a keyholder! I checked that he meant our office and the bloke was pretty adamant so all I could do was give him my managers number and hope it got sorted. Will see if there's any fall out tomorrow cus the guy could have been a crackpot for all I knew. I'll have to speak to my boss and ask him if I did right lol.
Speaking of tomorrow I can see it being a really shit day. I've been using a desk belonging to a guy who is away for the last week and he's back tomorrow so I need a new desk. There's a few empty ones in the office but.... no computers! So unless they can find me one I'm gonna end uo doing nothing as it's all 3D design work in that office. Also need to make double sure that my boss signs my accomodation contract and gets it back to the agency ASAP so they can get the keys ready for me to move in on Weds morning... if not I'm gonna have to spend another night here...might kill myself lol. Then expenses...must have spent $200-300 on taxis in the last week!
Yeh so I'm gonna stop whinging now...apart from to say that the weather has been complete shit here for the last 3 days too...pissing rain and cold :(
After going for drinks and a meal on Friday night with people from work I slept in on Saturday which wrote off the day completely. There's been a fuck-up with paying for my cabs to work and back so I'm paying for them atm then claiming it back on expenses...wouldn't be a problem except I earn about $60 a day and the cabs cost $80. This means I chewed through my last paycheque and am now spending my motorbike money. So basically I don't feel able to spend any money that's not entirely neccessary just incase I end up not having the cash to get to work. I know I'll get it all back in 2wks but it's not much fun. Over here the shops all shut at 1pm-ish on a Saturday, few open on Sunday and then 1pm again today cus of the public holiday. So sleeping in all 3 days has meant I haven't been able to get into town before the shops shut. Not to mention that the buses stop stupidly early on Sundays/public holidays and I can't afford a cab.
Which leads me nicely on to the whole reason(s) I needed to go into town...
Passport Pics: very few places have the machines so need to hunt for one.
Visa: once i've got the pics need to post the forms.
Postcards: got quite a few to post to people.
Lighter: got to go to the tobacconist to get the flint sorted on my petrol lighter.
Books: really need something to fill the time.
Yeh I haven't even posted my visa forms off yet...can't do til I find a passport pic machine and they're like rocking horse shit over here! The best bit is that having a full time job means I can't get them done til next weekend now... am getting shit off my boss every day about the forms but there's nowt I can do.
Now for something totally different... Got a really weird call yesterday to the phone in my flat...was from a security company that monitors alarms, turns out there was an alarm at the company office in Hexham. That in itself isn't strange but they had my name down as a keyholder!! Fuck knows why they had my name and number (I haven't given ANYONE that number, I don't even know it!) but let alone having me down as a keyholder! I checked that he meant our office and the bloke was pretty adamant so all I could do was give him my managers number and hope it got sorted. Will see if there's any fall out tomorrow cus the guy could have been a crackpot for all I knew. I'll have to speak to my boss and ask him if I did right lol.
Speaking of tomorrow I can see it being a really shit day. I've been using a desk belonging to a guy who is away for the last week and he's back tomorrow so I need a new desk. There's a few empty ones in the office but.... no computers! So unless they can find me one I'm gonna end uo doing nothing as it's all 3D design work in that office. Also need to make double sure that my boss signs my accomodation contract and gets it back to the agency ASAP so they can get the keys ready for me to move in on Weds morning... if not I'm gonna have to spend another night here...might kill myself lol. Then expenses...must have spent $200-300 on taxis in the last week!
Yeh so I'm gonna stop whinging now...apart from to say that the weather has been complete shit here for the last 3 days too...pissing rain and cold :(
2 October 2008
Hotter than Natalie Portman in a pool of jelly...
It's hot! 30-34 degrees and not a breath of wind...not the most comfortable I've been, especially with a dodgy air-con unit. The weekend should be good if I don't get too burnt, got 3-days thanks to Labour Day so gonna spend most of it in town at one or several of the beaches.
I might have finally got my new apartment sorted after a fucking mess this morning. The woman who was meant to be helping me threw a paddy and sent a whinging e-mail to her boss then he sent a whinging e-mail to HR in Brisbane and my boss' PA which she then forwarded to me so I could tell her what had happened. A couple of hours and many e-mails later they finally got a letter sent to the rental agent and the first weeks deposit paid so fingers crossed I can move in next weds the 8th :D:D:D:D That makes me really fucking happy cus the staff here are so damn rude! I just went in to ask for some binbags so I could empty my bin and you'd think I asked for a platinum-coated hoover! The attitude in there sucks! I know they have a shitty job but a bit of customer service never hurt a soul. Not to mention the attitude I got when I told them I had friggin cockroaches running around my kitchen! $110 a night and still fucking cockroaches!
On a lighter note I had a crackin time last night, went to the pub for a meal and quiz, there was just four of us but had a fun time. I think it was just having some human interaction that made me feel so much better, that and the 4-5 pints of oh-so-fizzy beer. I got some strange looks and a comment from a barman because I drink pints...out here a pint is served in an old-fashioned "handle" and a normal serving is a "schooner" which looks like a UK pint glass but is only 300ml... I calmly pointed out that in the UK only women and wimps drink half-pints and that it's $3 cheaper to get a pint than 2 schooners.
So apart from that not done much, the new office is pretty cool except they're not a very chatty bunch...there can be 2hrs where no-one says a word. As soon as they get on a break you can't shut them up! I got trapped by a girl from accounts who just fucking talked at me for about 10mins when all I wanted to do was go back inside!
That is all...comment bitches!
I might have finally got my new apartment sorted after a fucking mess this morning. The woman who was meant to be helping me threw a paddy and sent a whinging e-mail to her boss then he sent a whinging e-mail to HR in Brisbane and my boss' PA which she then forwarded to me so I could tell her what had happened. A couple of hours and many e-mails later they finally got a letter sent to the rental agent and the first weeks deposit paid so fingers crossed I can move in next weds the 8th :D:D:D:D That makes me really fucking happy cus the staff here are so damn rude! I just went in to ask for some binbags so I could empty my bin and you'd think I asked for a platinum-coated hoover! The attitude in there sucks! I know they have a shitty job but a bit of customer service never hurt a soul. Not to mention the attitude I got when I told them I had friggin cockroaches running around my kitchen! $110 a night and still fucking cockroaches!
On a lighter note I had a crackin time last night, went to the pub for a meal and quiz, there was just four of us but had a fun time. I think it was just having some human interaction that made me feel so much better, that and the 4-5 pints of oh-so-fizzy beer. I got some strange looks and a comment from a barman because I drink pints...out here a pint is served in an old-fashioned "handle" and a normal serving is a "schooner" which looks like a UK pint glass but is only 300ml... I calmly pointed out that in the UK only women and wimps drink half-pints and that it's $3 cheaper to get a pint than 2 schooners.
So apart from that not done much, the new office is pretty cool except they're not a very chatty bunch...there can be 2hrs where no-one says a word. As soon as they get on a break you can't shut them up! I got trapped by a girl from accounts who just fucking talked at me for about 10mins when all I wanted to do was go back inside!
That is all...comment bitches!
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