Saturday, April 14, 2007

Geezus.... 1 year already, lil bit of reminizzling

I kinda want to say time flies when you're having fun... Seems not that long ago that Chad and I got sloshed with a whole lot of you and woke up the next day with a huge hangover, and seems like Christmas was just yesterday.

However, one wouldn't REAALLY describe working here FUN, its alright I guess, I do feel rewarded when releases go right, people thank me for making their lives easier, and although I haven't really been coding recently, when I do get to do it, its great!

But then thats all counterbalanced by the bureaucray, heavy handed processes that are totally inappropriate for front office development, retards you have to deal with on an almost daily basis, and the next bit of work is essentially fucking VBA in a fucking spreadsheet, yeh we REAAL cutting edge here.

I guess as long as pay and bonus continue to be good I'll keep at it until Asia no longer holds any more delights for me.

I have still yet to:

  • Visit other misc Asian countries (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Phillipines)

  • Visit India

  • Do snow related activites in Hokkaido

  • Get my diving license, despite wanting to do it ever since I got here and almost managing to do it in November last year

  • Remedy the 20+% body fat situation as described by my trainer late last year


With the recent shake ups in personal life and the realisation that one will probably not sign on in Singapore indefinitely, arse will have to be engaged to ensure the above happens.

Other random musings over the past few days:

  • Why am I still not used to the 30+ heat and still sweating like a rapist everytime I step outside?

  • What if the IT industry in Spain is non-existant

  • Will work transfer me to London if I want to leave Singapore

  • How will the point above impact the point above the point above?

  • Will I really want to work in London, do I have a choice given this wanderlust?



Oh, I almost forgot, I think I'm going to Rome/Croatia in August with Masty, Bruce and maybe Chad. Should be a wicked trip if the blimmin travel agent has a clue and gets back to me soon. It doesn't bode well when the conversation with the STA travel agent goes something like this:

Me: "Hi, I'm planning to visit Italy and Croatia for about a week in August and would need some flight and accomodation quotes. I'll need to travel to Rome and then Split and back again to Rome, finally returning to Singapore".
Agent: "Sorry, what was the other location".
Me: "Split, its the second largest city in Croatia"
Agent: "Split, not in Italy!"
Me: "No, its in Croatia, across the Adriatic Sea from Italy"
Agent: "Where is Croatia?"
Me: "*sighs*, it used to be part of a big country called Yugoslavia, in the mid nineties there were lots of wars, lots of people died, it was on the news, you may have heard about it?"
Agent: "Ok, you leave phone number, we will get back to you"
Me: "Errm.. Ok *gives details*".

Still no word to date.

If all is well the trip should more than sate my classical/medieval history geekiness, Rome goes without saying, Split is close to Roman Salona, and Dubrovnik was previously Ragusa - one of the main cities of the Venetians during the middle ages. It should also serve to sate me on the matters of rowdiness, drunkeness and belligerence given I will be with Masty and Bruce and alcohol will form an integral part of this journey.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

that travel agent story reminds me of the time i tried to book my ticket to luzern-switzerland. the conversation was like..

me: "hi, i'd like a ticket from wellington to luzern-switzerland!"
agent: "hmm.. luzern does not have an airport!?!?"
me: "ok, thanks. i'll come back later *leave shop*"

Ian said...

But isn't it like awfully close to Zurich? :D... why are travel agents such duds.

Anonymous said...

yeah, after having that short conversation with the travel agent, i learned that zurich airport is an hour away from luzern :D

Anonymous said...

I heard that there are manatees in croatian waters, im sure that this will excite you guys. General pirating will be the order of the day, including rum

Ian said...

excellent, I'll make sure i'll pack my pirate hat, peg leg, eye patch and parrot!

Anonymous said...

Wow, a whole year away - seems like only yesterday you were all bright-eyed and bushy-eyebrowed about leaving for the big smog, eh my son? Go on admit it, you miss me bugging you about "what does that error message weally WEALLY mean?"
Memories of Rome - nearly had breakfast with the Pope and nearly got accosted by gypsies (I outran them).
Memories of Split - lots of white horses, cold, and aromatic rum still tastes like shit.
Memories of Dubrovnik - I had ideas of spending my honeymoon there until they blew it up in the war. Fiji looks a much better prospect now (no I'm not getting married yet - it's still just an idea).
Anyway, suffice to say watching cricket isn't the same without you m'dear!

Ian said...

Course I miss ya! And all youse good fullas that I worked with!

Gypsy evasion sounds like fun!!

If you miss me at the cricket, just watch the video in the blog entry above this! I'm in it :)