Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Blogger Fail

Sincere apologies for my Blogger Fail yesterday!

There I was, thinking I was so super clever for sending a post from my phone (and dreaming of the now endless posting opportunities for days when I am Without Camera) only to realise that my HTML coding (how cool does that sound?) for the movie trailers was not working.

And since I am a non-HTML code speaker, I was stuck. I played with settings and finally got the video's into my draft, but when it came time to click 'Publish'... There was nothing there! Just a big empty space. Don't I feel like a fool!

But, at least I got the phone-to-blog thing going. One step at a time, right?

The next step will be trying to send a picture....

So if you end up with some funny things in your mailbox, and they say they're from me, just ignore them! It's just me trying... TRYING to get my Blogger Cool on. All through little screen on my Blackberry.

Stay patient please! Have a cup of tea if you must (like you needed an excuse!)... And please stick around!
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Time Out... Already

If, like me, you are about to start a new job, in a new city, and are feeling a little nervous/ anxious/ excited.. then you'll probably want a Time Out to see some filums as much as I do. All before the First Day of Work has arrived! Butterflies anyone?
Here are two that are on my list. Funny. Lighthearted. And hopefully Just What The Doctor Ordered!

Bad Teacher
                   

Friends With Benefits
                   

Click on the linky-poo below to book and I'll see you there!
http://www.sterkinekor.com/

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Secunda Stylin'

In the absence of the technological know-how to get pictures from my Blackberry to my blog, I will have to temporarily skip over last weekends trip to the beautiful gem (ha ha) that is Cullinan.

Instead I'll fast forward to this week and get you up to speed with my Gautengaleng progress.

I have a job!
(Crowd cheers and throws streamers. Glitter falls from the ceiling.)

I am starting work on the 1st of September for a very exciting company called Side Effects. (More to come on that).
I am beyond excited, nervous, anxious. This is a real Big Girl Job... I hope my Big Girl Pants pull me through.
The good news is that they like tea just as much as me. In fact, I have a sneaky suspicion that my tea making capabilities are what pulled me through the interviews.

The home hunt has begun!
It has been very interesting to see how many places call themselves "Two Bed Two Bath" but are, in fact, more of the "One.5" or "One and a Shoe Box" variety. I have spoken to a very interesting mix of agents who range from Definitely Drunk at 12 o'clock, to This Place Is So Above You, to Not Interested in Helping the Professionals of Tomorrow, to I'm Super Keen - Let's Do This- But I Won't Keep You Posted. I don't think their job is tooooo hard, and we are the eager beaver tenant kind. The Gonna Make It Some Day's of today. Dammit people, help us find a home!

Spink-a-links, my trusty turquoise Spark is a real trooper.
Not only is he/she (it changes day to day) charging around the freeways like a real JHB driver (I am incredibly proud of my driving developments) but taking me to far off, STRANGE places in comfort, and with very few ND-honks.
Why, just yesterday we meandered over to Secunda. In an hour and a half. Impressed? I am.

I am using The Evil Garmin less and less.
The JHB roads are becoming more and more familiar, and I am finding my bearings, slowly, but surely.
Sometimes I don't even have to use my little scraps of paper with directions scrawled on them.

I managed to surprise Frank by arriving in Secunda a day early, and being at Nando's with lunch ordered and waiting for him. Hooray!
Now he has a snuggle partner (it's chilly here at night) and I get to do a whole weekend of Special Breed Watching, while I prepare myself for work next week. They make em different this side, that's for sure!

Have been thinking about Munich and our travels quite a bit. I have to say, I miss that place a little (mostly the trains, and Summer!) It's so crazy to think that we've been back for a few days short of a month, it feels like that adventure was a lifetime ago. Happy /Sad feeling.

In other news:
-NVDM is coming home. Beyond excited. It's only been a year and a half since we saw each other in Sydney.
-The Jackson Bean is going to be on leave and in JHB for a little razzle with yours truly. It's been 5 months. Now we just need Dee and our Rusketeer Trio will be complete.
-Wedding Weekend is nearly here! Although our boxes have hit a massive delay in Munich, and we may or may not have to go to the weddings with stars covering our Pieces, it is going to be a weekend FULL of catch-ups with such wonderful friends, all together to celebrate such a LOVEly occasion.

September is going to be a GOOD month! No, scratch that. A GREAT month.
Stay tuned!

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Initiation

Last night I made a horrible mistake.

I MEANT to go and have a look at an apartment. I looked up the directions on Google Maps and MEANT to follow them. But then we got side tracked and decided to follow The Evil Garmin.

We were concerned that it was taking us in the wrong direction, but thought we'd give it a shot, see if there was some alternate route we didn't know about. Alternate being alongside Alexandra and crossing over THAT end of Louis Botha. Hmm.

It was then that we realised that there were in fact TWO streets with the name I had entered, and we in the other one.
Never mind, we thought, we'll just go back home.

We started off ok, again trusting The Evil Garmin. We saw the onramp to the freeway we thought was right, but the The Evil Garmin didn't want us to take it. And then... it was too late.

For a horrifying half an hour we were STUCK in the middle of 'town' amid gunshot sounds and packed-to-capacity streets overflowing with swerving taxi's. Never mind wrong turns, there was hardly space for regular turns. My hands were shaking so much I could barely change the destination in The Evil Garmin, let alone holla for help on Google Maps with my waaaaay-smaller-than-they-usually-seem Blackberry keys.

The Evil Garmin seemed intent on having us in 'town' for as long as possible as it threw out 'turn left's at impossible moments and 'recalculating's about as frequently as I was swallowing incredibly unladylike words.

Finally, FINALLY, we made it out.

We drove along silently, thanking any and every God available that we were in Jens strong Audi, and that it hadn't been me, alone in my little car, unable to consult any form of a map, in this strange, bustling city. Thanking the wheels as they turned on the road for not running over any toes (like I said, it was busy busy busy) and carrying us safely home.

As soon as I caught my breath, and my hands unclenched for long enough for me to wipe the sweat off of them, I began my apologies...

Lesson learnt! Plan every trip carefully BEFORE you go. Write it down on your dorky pieces of paper, and follow them to the km. And for GOODNESS sake Robyn, DON'T trust The Evil Garmin for anything more than a final street number.

I skulked Only Just Starting Out butt back into Bedfordview to join the Already Made It's, reminded, once more, of how very, very far I have left to swim in this big old Jozi pond, and thanking those Gods, once more, that my Incredibly Stupid Thing had nothing worse than an adrenaline rush and a gulp of wine at the end of it.

Welcome to Jo'burg Robyn. You're running with the Big Dogs now.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Watch This Space

Well, would you look at that! It seems as though I have survived my first week (and long weekend) in JHB!
And, so far so good! I am really enjoying the vibe here! (I didn't think I would EVER say that!)
Granted, it has been a week and a half of interviews and general adapting-to-the-Jozi-way-of-life, but I have learnt so much already, without a single hoot at my ND number plate! Now that's what I call success!!

Here are some of the things I've learnt, mostly to do with the JHB roads... and drivers:
1) Your "safe following distance" is another persons opportunity to squeeze in.
2) Indicating is clearly optional here.
3) If you zone out during a drive to anywhere, and drift off into your daydreaming happy place, you will end up in Pretoria. Focus Robyn, Focus!
4) A broken car arial = fuzz. In which case you better have a good, long cd, or a charged ipod.
5) Little cars need to be filled up more.
6) Before thinking you're super organised for packing your hands free kit, make sure your hands free kit actually works. You don't want to be scrambling for the speaker phone button mid-lane change. (Not that I touch my phone during lane changes!)
7) Pee before you leave, and pack padkos. The trip might be longer than you thought.
8) Small cars seem to be invisible to truck drivers. Even if they are a nice bright Spinky turquoise.
9) A sweaty hand does not a good hand shake make.
10) Being early has its advantages. The best one is that you can try out that spot in the sun, melt and still have time to change tables and regain your shiny composure before The Interviewers arrive.
11) "What do you think?" is an excellent follow up question after a technical question. Let those interviewers puff up their feathers a bit. Go on.
12) Waiting seems to be a Very Big part of The Great Job Search. "We'll get back to," "We'll call you tomorrow / friday / next week"
13) Being an Interviewee is incredibly tiring. Long afternoon naps in the sun, and cups of tea are Very Necessary.
14) Once the sun sets in JHB, it gets cold. The houses just aren't geared for Winter like the ones in Europe are.
15) Making your evening bath/shower part of your Just Before Bed routine is an excellent idea. If you don't, you better have good socks and a hot water bottle.
16) I now understand why everyone told me to find a job first before looking at places to stay.

Please keep those thumbs held and fingers twisted for job offers and apartment leases!
I promise to keep you posted :)

Time for tea!