Munchies for Lunchies

There aren’t many places around my workplace to buy lunch from, and the ones that are open are either of low quality or expensive.

We make the trek upto Old Raffles most Fridays, where we get passable to decent Singaporean / Malaysian food, which is pretty authentic Singapore coffee-shop type fare. No plastic stools though, thankfully.

To that end, my workplace has a canteen, upstairs. Well it’s pretty much a fully fledged mixed business, really. When I started here I was warned that their quality too, is of a low standard. I think the word used was ‘crap’. Or maybe ’shit’. Can’t remember.

I rarely venture up there for my lunch, but sometimes i’ve eaten out the night before and have no leftovers to bring to work, or the leftovers I have aren’t suited to nuking (microwaving).

Today was one such day.

The toasted sandwich press in our kitchenette decided it was time for it to be ‘toast’, and stopped working yesterday, so toasties aren’t an option at the moment, so up to the Canteen I ventured.

THINGS MY CANTEEN DOES WELL (and by ‘well’, I mean borderline edible)

THINGS MY CANTEEN DOES NOT DO WELL (and by ‘not well’ I mean borderline edible down to curry time in 30 minutes)

The Sweet n Sour Pork was today’s lunch. It’s got about 14 minutes left I think.. rumblings already.

27.Nov.08 Food, Work Comments (2) 

Disenchanted

Well I was enjoying this new job, up until yesterday. Just like people, workplace cultures eventually show their true colours if you wait long enough.

Some ‘anonymous’ pussycuntmotherfucker person had a whinge to my boss, who forwarded it onto my team leader so he could talk to me.

The problem?

The fact I had my own laptop on my desk, which has its own (non-work) broadband connection. Evidently this is a security risk, because I could be copying confidential files and whatnot to somewhere. Like i’d bother!?

If they weren’t so anal retentive about blocking everything on our network, I wouldn’t even need to use my lappie, would I?

For example, I can’t even view the animated weather chart on the Bureau of Meteorology website. Blocked.

USB Sticks would be more of a security risk than my hulking laptop, which i’m certainly not trying to hide. They hold gigs, and are easily lost or easily concealed. Whatever tickles your fancy.

Maybe they should also lock down the printers, coz I dunno, someone might PRINT something sensitive and walk out the door with it.

Fuck me.

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14.Nov.08 Work Comments (0) 

Grossness

In almost every visit to the toilets here, I get to witness something disgusting.

When I was up in Sydney, twice - both times on a Monday - there was one loo so ‘overloaded’, it wouldn’t flush. Just look for the skinny ______, after that dump. The other day, it was some ______ person, in a stall, talking on the phone: WHILST ‘dropping the bombs’, so to speak. Other days it’s just a foul curry smell, due to the fact of the extra processing it’s received on the way through them. Today, it was someone washing their feet and clipping toenails, in one of the basins.

Yeah, you might save a few dollars by hiring ______s, but you sure need a decent toilet cleaner.

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22.Oct.08 Bitching, Work Comments (0) 

UI: Useless Imbecile

For the first 3 weeks at my new job here, I improved the design of three applications. It was all signed off, good to go. Everyone was happy.

This week, someone in the marketing department must feel threatened, and have decided to step in and put forth their own amendments. Essentially killing off all the modifications I made.

We’re back to ugly and unusable. Whoopee.

13.Oct.08 Bitching, Work Comments (0) 

Ready, Set…

Door to door, it normally takes me about 63 minutes to get to work. Coming home, it’s about 78 minutes.

I drove to work today, which took 35 minutes. I told you our public transport is shit.

Can’t wait to see how quick I can get to work on the bike.

10.Oct.08 Fun, Work Comments (0) 

Sydney: Sunshine and Lollipops, well, sorta.

Work’s put me up in Sydney for 3 weeks to do knowledge transfer on one of their products.

The accommodation booking lady booked me into Carrington Apartments in York St, which if you look up the pics on Tripadvisor is just disgusting.

Well it’s not that it’s bad.. ok it is bad. But at least it’s not filthy. It’s just OLD. It would have been a nice place 30 years ago, but I think everything IN it is still FROM 30 years ago.

My main gripe was the bed. The bed too, was 30 years old. I think. As soon as you lay on it, it would sag. If there were springs in the matress, they’ve long been sprung. Try and sleep in a hammock and wake up without a sore neck. This was pretty much the same.

As soon as I checked in I told our accommodation lady to get me out of there, and find me somewhere decent. Unfortunately I had to spend the first 3 nights there, and my neck is still hating me for the experience.

The replacement place was somewhere a co worker was placed previously… so why didn’t they book that in the beginning! Argh!

Apart from the accommodation, everything’s pretty good. Even the weather, for the most part. I’ve only required the use of my umbrella once, which was on Sunday. I’ve also even worn tshirts, it’s been that warm on some days.

On Friday night I went clubbing at the Midnight Shift, which was kinda fun. More fun than I would’ve had in Melbourne anywhere, anyway.

Saturday night a friend took me to Stonewall, where some queen managed to spill beer all over my leg. He then proceeded to pat my leg, as if that was going to dry it off. If anything, it rubbed the beer in more. I’m not quite sure what the look in my eye was at that moment, but they sure fucked off quick. I went upstairs to the toilets, to unsuccessfully rid myself of the beer smell. At least my hands weren’t beer-sticky.

After we left there, we went to some hideous place called The Palms. If you’re into Campy Bottoms who love all music prior to 1900 1987, this is the place to go. Unfortunately I do not. I lasted a total of 7 songs in there, during which I sat at a table. The music wasn’t danceworthy. As he went past, some old queen barguy (this place can’t even get decent barboys) told me to get up and dance and get off my best asset (arse), and probably received a scorning look in return.

Then we headed upto Shift. I got asked for ID, so I think the bouncer was bored, rather than me looking a youthful twinkish 17. As much as the locals pay Shift out as being dodgy, it’s funny how they still come along. I really can’t see how it’s that bad. If all they had was the Peel, Market and Exchange - then they can whinge. Loudly.

Apart from the ’straight’ asian club down the road, there’s no other club in Oxford St which can boast a large populous of asian bodies in one place. (I use the word ’straight’ coz i’ve heard rumours of some of those boys nicking down to the gay sauna while their girlfriends continue dancing inside… heh.)

Of course anywhere you have a club full of asians, you also have old men (as well as the occasional asian admirer. :D). It’s like Salt and Pepper - very rarely you see one without the other. But for the most part they’re reasonably behaved, and the ones that aren’t soon get told where to go. Of course i’m talking pre-4am here. Post 4am is another story - the freaks just seem to come out of the woodwork. So if your hunger hasn’t taken you to The Rocks for pancakes by 4am, (or you haven’t picked up and left already), you may as well just call it a night. Unless you’re into freaks. :D

Sunday was spent sleeping until early afternoon, at which time I got up and went in search of food. I met up with a friend and we had Thai for (late) lunch, which was pretty good. We wandered around everywhere until our feet started getting sore, then we settled into a Starbucks sofa to drink their mediocre beverages and talk crap for awhile.

Dinner was at a place called “Mamak” near chinatown. I’d been past a few times and noticed a queue out the door, so I wanted to see if it was any good. In short, it was. Although missing the signature Rendang Curry, they still had good Rotis and other Malaysian staples like Chicken Curry, Teh Tarik and Cendol on the menu.

After we waddled out of there, we walked around a bit more, then to the bus stop. The bus took ages to come along, but finally it did. I guess tardy public transport isn’t just a Melbourne thing.

Last night was washing night. Coin operated machines in the basement, at $4 a load. Powder was $2, so instead I went to a nearby Coles and got some decent liquid. On the way back I got a McFeast Deluxe meal for dinner, simply because there’s not much else around me - hence why I walk down to Chinatown most nights for dinner.

While the machine was rumbling I surfed with my dial-up internet (GAH!) and ate my burger. Clothes finished. Hung them up to dry - screw paying $4 for the dryer as well.

Now i’m not drawing any conclusions in that I was served by Indians at the Maccas, but I started getting a bit of indigestion. That kept up all night, as well as my voice getting croaky. Which was weird, it’s like an onset of the flu except I didn’t have the headcold. Food poisoning? Who knows. I’ve been chowing down on vitamin C today, and my voice has gone from Barry White back to normal me.. almost. No more maccas. Nuh uh.

Tonight my co workers are taking me to Ichiban Boshi, a place i’ve reviewed on Candid Cuisine previously.

Should be fun.

16.Sep.08 Food, Holiday, Random, Work Comments (0) 

Jobby Job Job

I like my big cubicle.
I like my big desk in my big cubicle.
I like my Espresso machine sitting on my big desk in my big cubicle.
I like sipping my latte from my Espresso machine on my big desk in my big cubicle.

Haha, I like my new job.

But yeah, doing work I enjoy and getting paid accordingly is very satisfying.

And they’re already sending me up to Sydney next month to take ownership for one of their main applications (SME). Sweeeeet.

27.Aug.08 Work Comments (0) 

Resignation

Calling my boss to tender my resignation actually wasn’t that hard.

One could compare it to looking at a mountain and thinking it’s going to be a huge task, until you climb it in half an hour and realise it was easy afterall.

I made the call, and my boss was surprised. I told him why - slightly sugarcoated, but still essentially the truth. Challenge, Opportunity, and Cashola. (Not necessarily in that order.)

I also told him i’d been approached, which isn’t exactly a lie - they did approach me for a position which was different than the one I applied for..

He asked if i’d stay, if he could match the wage they were offering. Knowing how it works around here, I knew they’d never match what i’d been offered. So I told him the magic numbers, and after a sudden pause, he said no more about it. Sad, but true.

Another guy in Sydney resigned today, too. And he was a real gun. That’s gonna hurt - glad I won’t be around to feel the shockwaves.

I wonder when they’ll realise that higher wages will stem the tide that has been long enveloping this place.

They can give us all the fruit and coffee and token benefits they want, but at the end of the day, we all want more money. In our pockets. Fuck loyalty, almost 8 years in this place. Show me some loyalty.

And if you’re looking for a simple resignation letter template, try this one. It’s what I used:

Dear MANAGER-NAME,

Please accept this letter as my formal notice of resignation from COMPANY-NAME, effective DAY MONTH YEAR.
My intention is to provide you with ample time to find a qualified professional to take over my position.

My time here at COMPANY-NAME has been some of the most rewarding and memorable years of my professional life.

I sincerely appreciate the opportunities that I have been given to contribute to the company’s success, while growing professionally and personally.

Sincerely,
SIGNATURE
NAME

No need to lie and say you’re leaving for blah-blah reason when really your boss is crap, or the pay sucks. Just don’t put anything. You don’t need to give a reason. (That way if you ever want to come back *snort* you haven’t burnt your bridges. Keep that in mind at the exit interview too.)

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15.Jul.08 Work Comments (0) 

Wow, we’re sooooo green.

From: The CEO
To: Everyone

Hi everyone,
I am pleased to announce that we are participating in Earth Hour this Saturday.

For those of you who aren’t aware, Earth Hour is trying to encourage as many households, communities and businesses to turn their lights out for one hour on 29 March from 8pm– 9pm.

We will participate by turning off our sign at the Melbourne Office for one hour.

So, don’t panic if you don’t see the sign illuminated on Saturday night - it’s all for a good cause!

Wow. That’s really going to save a lot of power. Howabout we turn off the lights on each of the 7 levels as well? Every night. All night. Not just for one hour on one night. Pfft.

It’s almost as stupid as those Bob Geldof Live Aid concerts, which are supposedly carbon neutral. Except for the millions of people watching the concert on their Plasma or LCD TV’s, duh.

28.Mar.08 Bitching, Work Comments (0) 

Office Folk

The Office. The melting pot where the professionals mingle with the… not so professional.

Like the co-worker who sits in the cubicle in front of me… I don’t know how he manages to squeeze in his work inbetween his hectic schedule of youtube.com, youboob.it (NSFW!), indonesian forums, realestate.com.au, chain emails, etc. Ahem.

Or the Office Nelly who asks people to fetch his Granny Smith apple from underneath the bananas in the fruit basket, because he has a phobia of touching bananas. Might explain why he’s 42 and still single. Though that could also be ‘coz he’s camper than a row of tents. Heh.

Then there’s the Collective, which is a bunch of us who actually do work, but we’re really fucking pissed off right now, considering our payrises (fuck confidentiality, we’re comparing how much we got screwed) didn’t even meet CPI. Actually nowhere near reaching CPI.

But beyond that, the excuse Management gave us was that our payrise ‘pool’ wasn’t as large as they’d like (well duh) but get this; it’s due to the shares performing badly lately. (Who’s been pissing in the pool, huh? huh huh huh?)

Ahem, they got a 30% return last year and we didn’t see any of that, you fuckers.

Needless to say Management doesn’t have their payrises dependent upon the share price. Die already.

17.Mar.08 Random, Work Comments (0) 

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