Well, I would say that my weekend was uneventful, but I would be wrong. Although I really didn't do very much this weekend. How's that for sad?
Friday after work was manager's night out. I have to say, it was fun. Although it is interesting - The email said "Let's go grab a couple of drinks" and basically made it out to be a happy hour. Maybe happy 5 hours would have been a more appropriate title. Since I had to figure out how to get home at 10:30, I only had a couple of beers. But there were a few folks who were still going strong by the time I left at 10:30!
I got the chance to meet a lot of new people in the office! Of course, the first person I met and really got to sit down and talk to was a guy from the Houston office who is over here for 4 months. Strange, huh? But it was nice to talk with him, and I think he and I are going to be tour buddies some in the coming weeks, so it will be nice to have someone to go do some things with on the weekend.
I met some other folks, too, and got to make my rounds talking to all of them. I have figured out that no one here (at least not at the manager level or above) is actually from Australia. They are mostly from the UK. All the Australians have moved to the UK. Kind of like a swap. I asked one guy (Ryan) about it, and he said, "People tend to want what they think they don't have, so they leave thinking they have found it elsewhere." Yes, this guy was from the UK. I also met several people who were floored to know I had to commute an hour to work every day. I think I need to find a new route!
I met another guy (Ben) who does not work in my department, but we talked a lot, as he had done a lot of travel in the US and his girlfriend is from Chicago. He wants the two of us to meet, just so we can both hear a friendly accent. The most entertaining part is that the guy is Asian but has an Australian accent. He said that people look at him weird when he talks. I told him, "Well you know, it's throwing me a little bit, too." He laughed and offered to do some Crocodile Dundee references if it would help.
So Ben and Ryan were talking to me and started asking a lot of questions. My favorite story comes from their questions about work. Ben said he noticed that people in the US work really hard, non-stop. He told Ryan that they work 6-7 days a week. Ryan asked me about it. I told him that Saturdays were required during busy season, and that there were several Sundays this past year where I found myself doing some work. He and Ben were shocked. They asked how much we work, if we have to work Saturdays. I told them it was a 55 billable hour minimum during busy season, but that you'll find yourself working 65-70 hours during the peak weeks. I swear I almost had to pick Ryan's jaw up off the ground. "Work Saturdays? Seriously? Every Saturday? Man, I am never going to complain about how much I work again!" I said, "So I take it that busy season will not feel so "busy" to me." He laughed and said not to worry about it. I get the feeling that busy season is going to be more like my work weeks during the off season!
I then made my rounds and got introduced to some more people. I found out that there is a big party this next Friday, a fiscal year-end celebration. The firm pays for a big party now and at Christmas. So a couple of folks were talking to me about it, and figured out I had no clue what they were talking about. So they filled me in - big party, we're going bowling, I'll get an invite sometime next week (invitations were mailed out before I started). Then they invited me to be on their team for the bowling party. Cool, I'm on a team. So another couple of people came over to meet me, and they started talking about the party. They said, "Oh, you probably don't know about it, yet." I told them I had just been filled in, when one of them said, "You probably need a team." I told him there was some talk. He asked if I was any good. I told him no, that I might bowl a 120-130 or so if I'm lucky, but that's about as good as it gets. Apparently i was better than I thought, and he went into another room and tried to figure out who to boot off of his team so that I could bowl with him. I'll tell you what - It's nice to be recruited! And now I have something to do next weekend!
So in comes Saturday, and I have no plans for the weekend, other than to wash some clothes. Hughlene and I walk down to get lunch, and find an outdoor spot that server breakfast all day. Sweet! Good food, decent price, and within reasonable walking distance of my place. Cool. We spend the afternoon hanging out at the apartment. I took a nap on the floor for a couple of hours. Then I start a load of laundry in the washer, and we go out to get some dinner. There is a bar about 5 minutes from my apartment, and we decide to try it because they advertise a steak special for $8. I didn't want steak, but I thought I'd try the food and see if I want to go back. Plus it was a place that you didn't have to bring your own beer in, so I was game. We walked in, and the place was packed! It is a pretty big bar where you order your drink and food at the bar, then wander around until you find somewhere to sit. I quickly realized it was so packed because there was a Wallabies game (the Australian national rugby team) on TV, and everyone was packing the bar to watch it. We ended up sitting with these 4 guys who were pretty entertaining. Not too social, but still funny. One guy had eaten two of the $8 steaks, and his buddies kept picking on him. But he told me they were good, and my dinner was really good, so I think I have found my new neighborhood pub!
So I go back home, and move my clothes from the washer to the dryer. Only I figure out that something got screwed up in the wash, and most of my dress shirts have some sort of red something on them. I still have no idea what it was - there was nothing red in my load. Crap. So I spent two days trying to wash whatever it was back out. I ended up sacrificing two shirts, and am still a little pissed about it. But what can I do? (Other than send Sally to the store back in the US to replace them and ship them to me.) Stupid washing machine.
The next morning, I woke up early yet again. I have yet to sleep past 7 here on any given day. My alarm is set for 7 every morning (actually 10-til, as I have my clock set 10 minutes ahead, in case I want to hit snooze). I have yet to hear the alarm go off, because I am always awake. Both weekends, awake by 7. It sucks! Although Saturday and Sunday I managed to force myself back to sleep. I figure I will eventually snap out of it.
Anyway, I get up and spend most of the day doing laundry. After the second load, I walk into the bathroom/laundry room, and there is water all over the floor. The stupid washer is leaking. I tell you, I am having absolutely no luck with this stupid machine. On the up side, there is a drain in the middle of the floor, so I can push most of the water in that direction. I manage to find that the leak is coming from the main water valve, and I tightened it up as much as possible with no wrench. So I do some temporary fixes to at least keep it from soaking the floor (although the floor still gets wet), and figure I will have to call the apartment manager later this week. Crap. But since the handle is falling off of my shower door, anyway, I guess it is not a bad thing to call someone to come in and fix it.
Dinner Sunday night was good. There is an Italian place with really good pizza called "Sopranos" around the corner from my house. I'm not sure how they do it, but there is a picture from "The Sopranos" on the cover of the menu. I guess HBO doesn't know about this copyright infringement, yet. But the food was good, so I am now getting a little happier that I have found some non-Asian places to go in the coming months! Maybe I can find a laundromat, too, in case I need it...
Okay, time for the quote of the day from my favorite paper. Actually, I have three. And I had to exclude the ones where the people have been talking about their favorite breakfast cereal. So here you go, in no particular order:
1. "To the couple on the 7:06am Fairfield-to-City train. Why don't you just go all the way next time and shag on the train? Seriously, there's a time and place for your antics and it isn't on a peak-hour train." From BB in Campbelltown
2. "Leslie, you know the solution to all the high prices? Replace the members of government and such, and have Asians in there. We always have cheap stuff and don't charge a lot." From Asia in the City.
3. "Kez there is no excuse for sneezing on anyone sitting next to you on a train. That is disgusting and very westie behaviour." From AS in Hurstville.
I don't know why I think these are so funny, but they are! Hopefully you guys are enjoying them!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
1 Week Down, 13 To Go...
So today is Friday; the end of my first week. People are becoming a little more friendly around here, although I still get plenty of stares from the audit staff sitting on the row next to me. But no worries. I will get to know them more in the coming months.
As it is Friday, today is business casual day here in the office. To me, that means that I am wearing slacks and a dress shirt, with my leather coat instead of a suit jacket. But to the folks here, business casual means casual. Almost everyone here is in jeans, and some are wearing tennis shoes. I missed out! I mean, I got a copy of the dress code before I came over, and saw that jeans counted for business casual. But I was not about to venture into that kind of outfit, assuming they meant something other than what I was thinking for jeans. Nope! There is a guy sitting next to me today, and he and I were talking a little bit. Nice guy. But when I walked by his desk to get a drink, I noticed that he didn't even have his shirt tucked in. And there are lots of people just like him around the office! I guess it is some sort of reward for wearing suits all week! Well, the next time I am in here on a Friday, I guess I will at least downgrade to khakis!
So tonight is “Night Out” here in the office. All of the "upper levels" (basically managers) are going to get together for drinks after work. Apparently there have been a lot of new people who have started here, and the managers all want to get together so that people can meet. I replied today that I was coming, and the girl who is coordinating apologized for not making it by to say hello. It sounds as though a lot of people have been busy around here, so it is sort of the exception that I have not gotten to meet more people this week. So that’s a good sign. Maybe I will get to meet several folks tonight and in the coming weeks.
I still have no idea what I will be doing next week. No word on whether this client is ready for me to come out and be the controller for the next month. Probably a good thing, since I have no car, no place to park at my apartment (no garage), and no idea where the place is. Hopefully I will be able to come in here on Monday and get instructions before going out to the client. I have not heard anything about going, and the director told me he would be in touch. So I guess I can assume that I am not going out Monday, since it is 5:00 Friday evening...? We shall see!
Thanks to everyone who has posted comments on the site! I just wanted to take a minute to reply to them: Yes, no, no okay, yes. Kidding! Seriously, though... Mom, I’m doing fine. Don and Bootsie, thanks for reading. Tony, there are some of what you would call "little people" around here, but I can’t seem to find any Irish folk. Maybe I need to stumble into a pub and see what I can find there... (Or stumble out of a pub...) And Mom, thanks for making me feel old. For those of you who want to know, the Jenny Humphries that my mom is referring to in her comment post (about the girl who is pregnant) is someone I used to babysit when I was in high school. Yep, I’m old.
Okay... Just for you guys, I brought my lunch this morning so that I could sit at my desk for an hour and upload some photos. But then I figured out that I do not have the CD with the software for my camera, and they monitor Internet usage relatively heavily here for big downloads. So I am going to take my laptop home and get some photos uploaded onto it over the weekend. Maybe tonight, depending on how long everyone stays out after work. But I promise that I have pictures for you, and I will add them to the page as soon as possible!
Just to let you know, I went home last night and took some photos of the apartment. I have placed a slot for a slideshow to the right so that you can see my place, once I upload the pictures. And I will add some text below the pictures to sort of walk you through it. Also, I sucked it up and rode sitting on the outside deck of the ferry this morning. (The things I do for you guys - it was freaking cold out!) I took plenty of pictures of my morning commute, and have added a spot for the commute slideshow and a little narrative for those photos, as well. Maybe tomorrow, but hopefully first thing Monday, these pictures will be ready for the unveiling!
By the way, I must say... The ghetto peanut butter from the Sydney grocery store I am eating for lunch doesn't quite compare to the stuff at home. But because it was only $2 for a little jar, instead of $5, I think I will suffer through it.
Once they are uploaded, if there are any photos you have a hard time seeing, or if you just want to see bigger pictures, you can check out all of my photo albums online at: http://picasaweb.google.com/JPisDownUnder.
Enjoy!!!
As it is Friday, today is business casual day here in the office. To me, that means that I am wearing slacks and a dress shirt, with my leather coat instead of a suit jacket. But to the folks here, business casual means casual. Almost everyone here is in jeans, and some are wearing tennis shoes. I missed out! I mean, I got a copy of the dress code before I came over, and saw that jeans counted for business casual. But I was not about to venture into that kind of outfit, assuming they meant something other than what I was thinking for jeans. Nope! There is a guy sitting next to me today, and he and I were talking a little bit. Nice guy. But when I walked by his desk to get a drink, I noticed that he didn't even have his shirt tucked in. And there are lots of people just like him around the office! I guess it is some sort of reward for wearing suits all week! Well, the next time I am in here on a Friday, I guess I will at least downgrade to khakis!
So tonight is “Night Out” here in the office. All of the "upper levels" (basically managers) are going to get together for drinks after work. Apparently there have been a lot of new people who have started here, and the managers all want to get together so that people can meet. I replied today that I was coming, and the girl who is coordinating apologized for not making it by to say hello. It sounds as though a lot of people have been busy around here, so it is sort of the exception that I have not gotten to meet more people this week. So that’s a good sign. Maybe I will get to meet several folks tonight and in the coming weeks.
I still have no idea what I will be doing next week. No word on whether this client is ready for me to come out and be the controller for the next month. Probably a good thing, since I have no car, no place to park at my apartment (no garage), and no idea where the place is. Hopefully I will be able to come in here on Monday and get instructions before going out to the client. I have not heard anything about going, and the director told me he would be in touch. So I guess I can assume that I am not going out Monday, since it is 5:00 Friday evening...? We shall see!
Thanks to everyone who has posted comments on the site! I just wanted to take a minute to reply to them: Yes, no, no okay, yes. Kidding! Seriously, though... Mom, I’m doing fine. Don and Bootsie, thanks for reading. Tony, there are some of what you would call "little people" around here, but I can’t seem to find any Irish folk. Maybe I need to stumble into a pub and see what I can find there... (Or stumble out of a pub...) And Mom, thanks for making me feel old. For those of you who want to know, the Jenny Humphries that my mom is referring to in her comment post (about the girl who is pregnant) is someone I used to babysit when I was in high school. Yep, I’m old.
Okay... Just for you guys, I brought my lunch this morning so that I could sit at my desk for an hour and upload some photos. But then I figured out that I do not have the CD with the software for my camera, and they monitor Internet usage relatively heavily here for big downloads. So I am going to take my laptop home and get some photos uploaded onto it over the weekend. Maybe tonight, depending on how long everyone stays out after work. But I promise that I have pictures for you, and I will add them to the page as soon as possible!
Just to let you know, I went home last night and took some photos of the apartment. I have placed a slot for a slideshow to the right so that you can see my place, once I upload the pictures. And I will add some text below the pictures to sort of walk you through it. Also, I sucked it up and rode sitting on the outside deck of the ferry this morning. (The things I do for you guys - it was freaking cold out!) I took plenty of pictures of my morning commute, and have added a spot for the commute slideshow and a little narrative for those photos, as well. Maybe tomorrow, but hopefully first thing Monday, these pictures will be ready for the unveiling!
By the way, I must say... The ghetto peanut butter from the Sydney grocery store I am eating for lunch doesn't quite compare to the stuff at home. But because it was only $2 for a little jar, instead of $5, I think I will suffer through it.
Once they are uploaded, if there are any photos you have a hard time seeing, or if you just want to see bigger pictures, you can check out all of my photo albums online at: http://picasaweb.google.com/JPisDownUnder.
Enjoy!!!
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Finally Caught Up!
Well, I didn't think I would do it, but it looks as though I have finally caught up on my posts with this one. Woo-hoo! Not too much happened today, so I think this post will be a relatively short one. Well, short for me, anyway. (Tony, go ahead and insert your leprechaun joke here ___.) But I do have a couple of quick stories to tell.
I managed to meet a couple of new folks today. Nothing big, but people are finally talking to me as I walk by. I spoke with a guy who said he is a manager, but he is a little older, so I am thinking senior manager here. He introduced himself and then said, "And you're with us how long?" So it seems as though people know who I am, but don't think they need to introduce themselves. I guess I will just have to start walking around and meeting people tomorrow, since I don't know who they are. And yes, I really am that important that people already know me here. Well, unless someone from the Charlotte office tipped them off, and my reputation is preceding me...
Early morning - this one was a first. I am impressed it took a week for it to happen. I finally had someone from the US call me on my cell phone. Twice. And did not leave a message. It was 4 am, and by the time I heard it ring, it would have taken me too long to get to the phone to answer it before it cut to voicemail. (Although apparently I would have gotten there in time to answer the second attempt to call me.) So if it was any of you reading this blog, go ahead and confess!
On the way in to work this morning, I was listening to my iPod out of the train station, and I heard this high-pitched song, and I thought, "I didn't think I put "You Can't Always Get What You Want" on my iPod. Weird." Then I rounded the corner out of the gate, and there was a boys' choir standing there. (No, they were not singing the Rolling Stones. It just sort of sounded like it.) They were standing, facing into the station, and the director was there starting them off on a new song. In front of them (about 10 boys from maybe 8-12) was a poster from St. Wherever, and a box and bucket to collect change. That's right - they were raising money by singing in the subway station. Ahhh... Feels like NY.
One other story for you from lunch. I went downstairs to an area that would be comparable to a mall food court. Well, except it is kind of outside (open on the sides) and there are only 3 restaurants. But you can order at any of the 3 and then sit at a table in the middle and eat. I get some sort of Asian dish (shocker), and was going to bring it back upstairs to eat, but changed my mind. So I grab a table, and go over to the closest restaurant to grab a fork and a napkin. The guy asked me something about ordering (he had a very heavy non-Australian accent), I didn't really hear all of it, and I said, "I just got my food, I just need a napkin." So I grabbed a fork and napkin, walked over to my food, and started to sit down. The guy had followed me from the counter to my table, pointed to my bag, and said, "You didn't order from us!" Apparently I was not allowed to take a little cheap plastic fork and one tiny school cafeteria-sized napkin from him without ordering there. So I said, "I still need a drink. I am coming back over." After that, the guy was nice to me. So I had to go over and buy a drink from the guy. I grab a water ($3 - holy crap!) and go back and sit down. Karma sucks, by the way. I open my bottle of spring water only to find that spring water isn't what I thought. It is really soda (seltzer) water. It was a bit of a shock, and I have to say I am not a big fan of it. So my lesson in all of this mess: Don't change your mind about where you are going to eat. And don't use napkins or forks.
Okay, since I am running out in a minute to catch the train, I don't have a text update from my new favorite news source today. Instead, I will leave you with a web site to check out. If you go to the left-hand corner of the map and select "photo" (rather than map), you can see a lot of Sydney by zooming in and moving around the map. And they are really hard to see, but there are little blue arrows in the center of each side of the box where the map is, so you can look all around the city. You can type in stuff and find it using the search spots at the top of the page. So when I start chatting about where I am at any given time, you now have the ability to check it out, either on a map or in the photo view. Enjoy!
http://www.whereis.com/#session=MTI
I managed to meet a couple of new folks today. Nothing big, but people are finally talking to me as I walk by. I spoke with a guy who said he is a manager, but he is a little older, so I am thinking senior manager here. He introduced himself and then said, "And you're with us how long?" So it seems as though people know who I am, but don't think they need to introduce themselves. I guess I will just have to start walking around and meeting people tomorrow, since I don't know who they are. And yes, I really am that important that people already know me here. Well, unless someone from the Charlotte office tipped them off, and my reputation is preceding me...
Early morning - this one was a first. I am impressed it took a week for it to happen. I finally had someone from the US call me on my cell phone. Twice. And did not leave a message. It was 4 am, and by the time I heard it ring, it would have taken me too long to get to the phone to answer it before it cut to voicemail. (Although apparently I would have gotten there in time to answer the second attempt to call me.) So if it was any of you reading this blog, go ahead and confess!
On the way in to work this morning, I was listening to my iPod out of the train station, and I heard this high-pitched song, and I thought, "I didn't think I put "You Can't Always Get What You Want" on my iPod. Weird." Then I rounded the corner out of the gate, and there was a boys' choir standing there. (No, they were not singing the Rolling Stones. It just sort of sounded like it.) They were standing, facing into the station, and the director was there starting them off on a new song. In front of them (about 10 boys from maybe 8-12) was a poster from St. Wherever, and a box and bucket to collect change. That's right - they were raising money by singing in the subway station. Ahhh... Feels like NY.
One other story for you from lunch. I went downstairs to an area that would be comparable to a mall food court. Well, except it is kind of outside (open on the sides) and there are only 3 restaurants. But you can order at any of the 3 and then sit at a table in the middle and eat. I get some sort of Asian dish (shocker), and was going to bring it back upstairs to eat, but changed my mind. So I grab a table, and go over to the closest restaurant to grab a fork and a napkin. The guy asked me something about ordering (he had a very heavy non-Australian accent), I didn't really hear all of it, and I said, "I just got my food, I just need a napkin." So I grabbed a fork and napkin, walked over to my food, and started to sit down. The guy had followed me from the counter to my table, pointed to my bag, and said, "You didn't order from us!" Apparently I was not allowed to take a little cheap plastic fork and one tiny school cafeteria-sized napkin from him without ordering there. So I said, "I still need a drink. I am coming back over." After that, the guy was nice to me. So I had to go over and buy a drink from the guy. I grab a water ($3 - holy crap!) and go back and sit down. Karma sucks, by the way. I open my bottle of spring water only to find that spring water isn't what I thought. It is really soda (seltzer) water. It was a bit of a shock, and I have to say I am not a big fan of it. So my lesson in all of this mess: Don't change your mind about where you are going to eat. And don't use napkins or forks.
Okay, since I am running out in a minute to catch the train, I don't have a text update from my new favorite news source today. Instead, I will leave you with a web site to check out. If you go to the left-hand corner of the map and select "photo" (rather than map), you can see a lot of Sydney by zooming in and moving around the map. And they are really hard to see, but there are little blue arrows in the center of each side of the box where the map is, so you can look all around the city. You can type in stuff and find it using the search spots at the top of the page. So when I start chatting about where I am at any given time, you now have the ability to check it out, either on a map or in the photo view. Enjoy!
http://www.whereis.com/#session=MTI
It's Wednesday!
You know your day is off to a good start when you are in a caddy mood. This morning, for example... I was waiting to get off the train, and there was a girl in front of me who stepped off first. And down she went! She fell, and it wasn't really funny at the time, it was kind of scary, since you hear about people falling under subways and all. But she was helped up, and I ended up walking behind her for a couple of minutes out of the train station. I noticed that she was working hard to walk normally, and I figured out that the reason she had fallen was because she had was wearing these crazy heels that were difficult for her to balance on. So then her falling was kind of funny.
Fashion here is a bit different, I must say. I don't know if it is because it is winter, or if it is just European fashion, but most people her wear black. Lots of black. It is freaking sunny out there, people! Try a little color to spice it up! Now I realize some of you think I am a hypocrite right now, since I almost always wear black trousers to work. But with a colored shirt on, I stand out around here.
Now, while I am in the mood to be caddy, I figured I would throw out a couple of observations on fashion. It is entertaining to watch a large percentage of the women on the ferry each morning. It never fails - there are always at least 2 women putting on makeup during the ride across the bay. I guess it is like putting it on while driving (which I also do not understand), but it is just kind of funny to see them doing it while sitting surrounded by 50 strangers. Today I was sitting next to a girl with a binder that showed she was attending the fashion school here in town. (No, I will not be enrolling.) She was wearing this all-black outfit, with the exception of her shorts (that she wore over tights and with heeled boots), which were navy blue. I am scared as to where the fashion world is headed. But I hope you will all laugh at the biggest fashion mistake of the week: A woman met her husband/boyfriend at the ferry stop last night on the way home, greeting him with their dog. She was wearing this bright green velour sweat-suit kind of thing. The entertaining part? I hear her speaking to the guy - She was American.
So on my way into the office, I grab a little breakie to start my day. That's right - I hit up the Krispy Kreme. It was my one and only trip. A plain glazed doughnut was $2.30. Yes, I only ordered one. It was good, but I was expecting the best doughnut I have ever tasted for that price! And no, it was not Hot Now.
I got to work, and one of the directors here came over and found me. Apparently they have a client that is in kind of a messy situation, and they are struggling to hire someone to be their controller there. In the interim, the client has asked to hire someone here to be the CFO's "right hand man" and get things in order. They want someone with experience, but so not want to pay for one of the managers to come in and do the work. So apparently I am perfect for the job, since everyone here apparently knows I am a manager, but was not listed as one over here to avoid my having to pick up a client load. (No one, including me, wants me to take on clients only to leave in 3 months.) So I am "perfect for the job." Great. Assuming they can work it out (they are making absolutely sure there are no client-auditor independence issues), I will start out at this client over the next 4 weeks as a controller. It is about a 45-minute commute, so it will shave 15-30 minutes off of my travel time each day. The fun part? I have to have a car to get there, because public transport will take 2 hours. So come Monday, I will probably be out driving on the wrong side of the road. Next week's stories should be good!
At lunch, I order a hamburger. Pretty simple, right? Uh huh. The thing comes with lettuce and tomato, and you can pick the sauce (which includes ketchup). But they also throw sauteed onions and pickled beets on it. I am sure everyone on the restaurant was watching me try to get the beets off of this burger. I was able to suffer through one of the tomatoes just fine, but there was no way I was going to suffer through a beet! On the walk back from lunch, I notice that most people around here are relatively fit and in pretty good shape. Maybe it's all of the walking that you have to do. But as they walk, several of them smoke. And in their hand is either coffee or energy drinks. Or they are headed to a bar to have a few beers. I can't figure it out, but apparently Americans are wrong about healthy lifestyles and weight loss!
Later this afternoon, my friend Akke stops by. He and some friends are coming to the US in March (because it is Spring Break - wooooo!) and want to drive from San Francisco to Tijuana. I can't wait to hear those stories. I told him to stay away from the donkey show. He asked what it was, and I told him I couldn't tell him, but that all I knew was to stay away from it. I think he is going to end up going to see it. Poor guy...
I ended up staying a little late to get some stuff done and to (almost) catch upon these blog posts. As I was packing up at 5:45, the girl who has been sitting in the cube in front of me the entire day turns around and says, "Are you Jennifer?" Huh? "It's Jenny. But yes." Her name was Angela, and she was very nice. We talked a little bit about the office and where I was from, etc. I just thought it odd that it took the entire day for her to turn around and say hello. The thing that really got me was her accent. I really liked it, but it was really different! She is Asian, I believe Chinese. So she has a Chinese-Australian accent. Completely different than anything I have ever heard before! But I am gradually meeting people here, so that's cool...
Okay, quote of the day: I promised to give you the best text messages from the public transport paper I get each evening. I forgot to bring it with me, so I can only think of one that I read: "To the cute Italian guy sitting next to me on [some] train. You can wrap me in tin foil and make me your lunch any time!" WHAT???
Fashion here is a bit different, I must say. I don't know if it is because it is winter, or if it is just European fashion, but most people her wear black. Lots of black. It is freaking sunny out there, people! Try a little color to spice it up! Now I realize some of you think I am a hypocrite right now, since I almost always wear black trousers to work. But with a colored shirt on, I stand out around here.
Now, while I am in the mood to be caddy, I figured I would throw out a couple of observations on fashion. It is entertaining to watch a large percentage of the women on the ferry each morning. It never fails - there are always at least 2 women putting on makeup during the ride across the bay. I guess it is like putting it on while driving (which I also do not understand), but it is just kind of funny to see them doing it while sitting surrounded by 50 strangers. Today I was sitting next to a girl with a binder that showed she was attending the fashion school here in town. (No, I will not be enrolling.) She was wearing this all-black outfit, with the exception of her shorts (that she wore over tights and with heeled boots), which were navy blue. I am scared as to where the fashion world is headed. But I hope you will all laugh at the biggest fashion mistake of the week: A woman met her husband/boyfriend at the ferry stop last night on the way home, greeting him with their dog. She was wearing this bright green velour sweat-suit kind of thing. The entertaining part? I hear her speaking to the guy - She was American.
So on my way into the office, I grab a little breakie to start my day. That's right - I hit up the Krispy Kreme. It was my one and only trip. A plain glazed doughnut was $2.30. Yes, I only ordered one. It was good, but I was expecting the best doughnut I have ever tasted for that price! And no, it was not Hot Now.
I got to work, and one of the directors here came over and found me. Apparently they have a client that is in kind of a messy situation, and they are struggling to hire someone to be their controller there. In the interim, the client has asked to hire someone here to be the CFO's "right hand man" and get things in order. They want someone with experience, but so not want to pay for one of the managers to come in and do the work. So apparently I am perfect for the job, since everyone here apparently knows I am a manager, but was not listed as one over here to avoid my having to pick up a client load. (No one, including me, wants me to take on clients only to leave in 3 months.) So I am "perfect for the job." Great. Assuming they can work it out (they are making absolutely sure there are no client-auditor independence issues), I will start out at this client over the next 4 weeks as a controller. It is about a 45-minute commute, so it will shave 15-30 minutes off of my travel time each day. The fun part? I have to have a car to get there, because public transport will take 2 hours. So come Monday, I will probably be out driving on the wrong side of the road. Next week's stories should be good!
At lunch, I order a hamburger. Pretty simple, right? Uh huh. The thing comes with lettuce and tomato, and you can pick the sauce (which includes ketchup). But they also throw sauteed onions and pickled beets on it. I am sure everyone on the restaurant was watching me try to get the beets off of this burger. I was able to suffer through one of the tomatoes just fine, but there was no way I was going to suffer through a beet! On the walk back from lunch, I notice that most people around here are relatively fit and in pretty good shape. Maybe it's all of the walking that you have to do. But as they walk, several of them smoke. And in their hand is either coffee or energy drinks. Or they are headed to a bar to have a few beers. I can't figure it out, but apparently Americans are wrong about healthy lifestyles and weight loss!
Later this afternoon, my friend Akke stops by. He and some friends are coming to the US in March (because it is Spring Break - wooooo!) and want to drive from San Francisco to Tijuana. I can't wait to hear those stories. I told him to stay away from the donkey show. He asked what it was, and I told him I couldn't tell him, but that all I knew was to stay away from it. I think he is going to end up going to see it. Poor guy...
I ended up staying a little late to get some stuff done and to (almost) catch upon these blog posts. As I was packing up at 5:45, the girl who has been sitting in the cube in front of me the entire day turns around and says, "Are you Jennifer?" Huh? "It's Jenny. But yes." Her name was Angela, and she was very nice. We talked a little bit about the office and where I was from, etc. I just thought it odd that it took the entire day for her to turn around and say hello. The thing that really got me was her accent. I really liked it, but it was really different! She is Asian, I believe Chinese. So she has a Chinese-Australian accent. Completely different than anything I have ever heard before! But I am gradually meeting people here, so that's cool...
Okay, quote of the day: I promised to give you the best text messages from the public transport paper I get each evening. I forgot to bring it with me, so I can only think of one that I read: "To the cute Italian guy sitting next to me on [some] train. You can wrap me in tin foil and make me your lunch any time!" WHAT???
Day 2
So today, I thought I would make the extra effort to get going in the morning and get to the bus stop a little earlier. I woke up at 7 and am out the door at 7:30. (Those of you who know me know that this time is a big deal - I get up at 7:30 in the States.) I go walking around the corner to the bus stop, and there is a bus sitting at the light. I look at it and think, "What do you bet that's my bus?" Yep. I get to the crosswalk just in time for the light to change, the bus to go flying past, and I see it stop, pick someone up, and then take off, all while I am still standing at the crosswalk, waiting for the light to change. (It is a very busy intersection, and I don't think it wise to chance running across the street into oncoming traffic.) One positive, though: I have learned to "Look Right" at all intersections now. I think I am going to get flattened when I get back home and step out into traffic after looking the wrong way down the road...
I walk to the bus stop, check the schedule (I have learned how to read bus schedules - scary, right?), and see that I have a 15-minute wait until the next bus comes. So I open up my bag and pull out my iPod. I turn it on - wait, no. I turn it on - wait, no. I shake it a little and swear - nope. Okay, so the battery is dead and I don't turn it on. So far, today looks like it is going to be a great day!
The bus arrives a little quicker than 15 minutes later, which is good. I get there just in time to catch the Ferry that is waiting at the dock. So I climb on the boat and sit down for the ride, close to the window so that I can enjoy the scenery. I also get to people watch. Nothing too exciting, but it is pretty entertaining to see the people sitting on the boat. Most are bundled up in their winter coats, with scarves around their necks. What's that? You ask how cold it is here? 15. Degrees Celsius - ha, fooled you! It is something like 50, and warms up to 60-65 by the afternoon. So I am standing there in my suit, quite comfortable. In fact, with my computer bag on my back (they gave me a pretty sweet backpack), I am starting to sweat by the time I get to the office building. The people here are kind of wussies...
I get into work, and start right in on it. Nerd alert here: I am going to talk about work. By 10 am, I have completed the entire work purpose of coming to Australia. I sign a form and get a book that is published here by PwC Australia. It is a huge book that basically gives every financial statement disclosure required under Australian IFRS. So my work here is complete. To the Charlotte office: Thanks for sending me here to learn IFRS when all I really needed was a $50 book that was published here. Sweet!
Not too long into the day, I have an email from one of the Tax Directors here, GS. It seems that she does expatriate work, and Donna, my new best buddy in the Expatriate group in Charlotte, has passed along my info to GS. (Thanks, Donna!) So GS emails me, and I managed to venture up to her office later in the afternoon to say hello. She's cool, offered to take me around anywhere, as needed, or to maybe grab some lunch together later in the week. Sweet!
I go to lunch today by myself again, as no one here goes out to eat. Or maybe I just miss them run out the door at 1 pm on the dot. But I wanted something quick, so I head to Subway across the street. Not my favorite, but at least it will be fast. I get there, though, and see that Subway is apparently one of the more popular restaurants here in town. I know - go figure! Philip, if you are reading, you would be right at home here... So I get my sandwich and sit down to eat it. Then I figure out that the social culture here is quite different. This guy gets his food and sits down at my table (at my table but diagonal to me, as I am at one of those 4-person tables). I really don't care about that part of it, as I am more than willing to share a table when I am by myself. What was interesting was the fact that this guy did not say a word. He sat down, opened his sandwich, opened his paper, read, ate, got up, and left. I mean, at least at home people would say, "Do you mind if I sit here?" Totally different. Not that it is bad, just different. As I rode home on the ferry, I noticed that people don't have the personal space issues here that we have at home. What I mean is that folks - strangers - sit down next to each other without saying a word and without thinking anything of it. As I said, not bad, just different.
Anyway, I get back to work, go at it for a while, and it is time to leave. I kind of like this whole lunch from 1-2 then you leave at 5 thing. Although I have yet to actually leave at 5 any night - I have been staying to post these blogs. But still - it's nice to only have 3 hours before the day is over! Oh, and I am going to give a shout-out to Robbie, as well. I got stuck here on some things, and asked him to send me a checklist from the US to help me out. He came right though the next morning! It is good to have people overseas to help me out. So the rest of you in the Charlotte office - watch out!
I pack up to head home. I had gotten a glass of water during the day, but forgot where the break area was, so I wandered around on my way out to figure out where to put back my glass. I ran into Catherine, one of the HR girls who I had met with on Monday. She went to Penn State (I am willing to forgive her for it), and was talking to her for a while. As a side note, we were taking about the weather, and found out from her that very few people here have heat. So at least I am not the only one here who is living at Sweatshirt Central every night. Nice to know...
I'll wrap this post up by telling you about the ride back home. I managed to get on the right train tonight. I forgot to post in yesterday's blog post that I hopped on the wrong train going home. It appears that all of the trains in one area to the the same first two stops. Nope. Two of the 5 go elsewhere, and I picked one of those two. Apparently I have to go down another flight of stairs below the platform I was on last night to get to the right trains. Lesson learned, no big deal. And I also learned a new way home, but I didn't want to try it out last night, so I will have to leave that adventure for another trip. Anyway... There is a free paper that is handed out as you are getting onto the train. It is sort of a news paper, but there are random stories in there. I do get some news from home, so that's helpful. Although I am not sure I needed to know about the freaks in Texas who were forcing little 5-year-old kids to have sex in front of paying customers. Nice to see what kind of US stories make it over here. Anyway, there is a section in this paper where you can text a message to the paper, and they will print it the next day. These texts are hilarious. People yell at other people on the public transportation through this paper. For example: "To the guy who spilled coffee on my shoes and did not apologize. You're a jerk." I will try to pick some of the funnier ones each day I read and pass them along to you guys going forward...
I walk to the bus stop, check the schedule (I have learned how to read bus schedules - scary, right?), and see that I have a 15-minute wait until the next bus comes. So I open up my bag and pull out my iPod. I turn it on - wait, no. I turn it on - wait, no. I shake it a little and swear - nope. Okay, so the battery is dead and I don't turn it on. So far, today looks like it is going to be a great day!
The bus arrives a little quicker than 15 minutes later, which is good. I get there just in time to catch the Ferry that is waiting at the dock. So I climb on the boat and sit down for the ride, close to the window so that I can enjoy the scenery. I also get to people watch. Nothing too exciting, but it is pretty entertaining to see the people sitting on the boat. Most are bundled up in their winter coats, with scarves around their necks. What's that? You ask how cold it is here? 15. Degrees Celsius - ha, fooled you! It is something like 50, and warms up to 60-65 by the afternoon. So I am standing there in my suit, quite comfortable. In fact, with my computer bag on my back (they gave me a pretty sweet backpack), I am starting to sweat by the time I get to the office building. The people here are kind of wussies...
I get into work, and start right in on it. Nerd alert here: I am going to talk about work. By 10 am, I have completed the entire work purpose of coming to Australia. I sign a form and get a book that is published here by PwC Australia. It is a huge book that basically gives every financial statement disclosure required under Australian IFRS. So my work here is complete. To the Charlotte office: Thanks for sending me here to learn IFRS when all I really needed was a $50 book that was published here. Sweet!
Not too long into the day, I have an email from one of the Tax Directors here, GS. It seems that she does expatriate work, and Donna, my new best buddy in the Expatriate group in Charlotte, has passed along my info to GS. (Thanks, Donna!) So GS emails me, and I managed to venture up to her office later in the afternoon to say hello. She's cool, offered to take me around anywhere, as needed, or to maybe grab some lunch together later in the week. Sweet!
I go to lunch today by myself again, as no one here goes out to eat. Or maybe I just miss them run out the door at 1 pm on the dot. But I wanted something quick, so I head to Subway across the street. Not my favorite, but at least it will be fast. I get there, though, and see that Subway is apparently one of the more popular restaurants here in town. I know - go figure! Philip, if you are reading, you would be right at home here... So I get my sandwich and sit down to eat it. Then I figure out that the social culture here is quite different. This guy gets his food and sits down at my table (at my table but diagonal to me, as I am at one of those 4-person tables). I really don't care about that part of it, as I am more than willing to share a table when I am by myself. What was interesting was the fact that this guy did not say a word. He sat down, opened his sandwich, opened his paper, read, ate, got up, and left. I mean, at least at home people would say, "Do you mind if I sit here?" Totally different. Not that it is bad, just different. As I rode home on the ferry, I noticed that people don't have the personal space issues here that we have at home. What I mean is that folks - strangers - sit down next to each other without saying a word and without thinking anything of it. As I said, not bad, just different.
Anyway, I get back to work, go at it for a while, and it is time to leave. I kind of like this whole lunch from 1-2 then you leave at 5 thing. Although I have yet to actually leave at 5 any night - I have been staying to post these blogs. But still - it's nice to only have 3 hours before the day is over! Oh, and I am going to give a shout-out to Robbie, as well. I got stuck here on some things, and asked him to send me a checklist from the US to help me out. He came right though the next morning! It is good to have people overseas to help me out. So the rest of you in the Charlotte office - watch out!
I pack up to head home. I had gotten a glass of water during the day, but forgot where the break area was, so I wandered around on my way out to figure out where to put back my glass. I ran into Catherine, one of the HR girls who I had met with on Monday. She went to Penn State (I am willing to forgive her for it), and was talking to her for a while. As a side note, we were taking about the weather, and found out from her that very few people here have heat. So at least I am not the only one here who is living at Sweatshirt Central every night. Nice to know...
I'll wrap this post up by telling you about the ride back home. I managed to get on the right train tonight. I forgot to post in yesterday's blog post that I hopped on the wrong train going home. It appears that all of the trains in one area to the the same first two stops. Nope. Two of the 5 go elsewhere, and I picked one of those two. Apparently I have to go down another flight of stairs below the platform I was on last night to get to the right trains. Lesson learned, no big deal. And I also learned a new way home, but I didn't want to try it out last night, so I will have to leave that adventure for another trip. Anyway... There is a free paper that is handed out as you are getting onto the train. It is sort of a news paper, but there are random stories in there. I do get some news from home, so that's helpful. Although I am not sure I needed to know about the freaks in Texas who were forcing little 5-year-old kids to have sex in front of paying customers. Nice to see what kind of US stories make it over here. Anyway, there is a section in this paper where you can text a message to the paper, and they will print it the next day. These texts are hilarious. People yell at other people on the public transportation through this paper. For example: "To the guy who spilled coffee on my shoes and did not apologize. You're a jerk." I will try to pick some of the funnier ones each day I read and pass them along to you guys going forward...
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
First Day On The Job
Okay, several of you have emailed me to ask, so I guess it is about time for me to put a post on here about my first day of work, right? Here you go:
I rolled out of bed, got out the door pretty quickly, and started my journey to the office. I do not have a car here in Sydney (I will be given one if I need it). Although it is probably a good thing, since I think this "left side of the road" driving might be a tough one to learn in such a busy city. So I have to find public transportation that will get me to my office building. My daily commute consists of the following: Walk out of the apartment building, go about 2 blocks and catch the bus. The bus then drives me down to the Wharf where I get on the ferry. The ferry is about a 20-minute ride, as there are 4 stops between mine (one end of the route) and Circular Quay (the other end of the route). But it is scenic and pretty, so I don't mind all that much. When we dock, I get off of the ferry, walk out of the wharf area, climb up the stairs, and I catch the train (mostly a subway where I ride it, although it goes above ground in some places). I ride the train two stops, and I get off in the heart of downtown (ironically called the "Town Centre" stop). I climb the stairs there, turn the corner past the Krispy Kreme doughnut shop, and then I walk through what can best be described as a huge mall. This thing called the Queen Victoria Building ("QVB") has something like 3 stories and about every store you can imagine. The funny thing is that most of the people I am walking with are business professionals. I really didn't notice many people going into any of the stores as I passed through. (http://www.qvb.com.au/ - check it out!) I then take an escalator upstairs, get to the end of the building, and walk about 4 blocks (following the monorail tracks above my head) to the building where the office is located. If anyone is looking on a Sydney map, the building is on the corner of Market and Kent, right by Darling Harbour.
So I get to the office around 9:00 - a little later than I expected, but I had no idea what length of time my route would take. I introduce myself to the receptionist, and she tells me to have a seat in the waiting area. You should see the view from this place! On the 19th floor - absolutely gorgeous view of Darling Harbour and lots of other stuff in the downtown area. So I sit and wait, just a bit enthralled by how large the reception area alone is.
I am then greeted by 2 people from HR. They are both very nice, and take me into a room to go over some introductory stuff. One of the girls, Sarah, walks me through the staff intro booklet. I would say that the bulk of the time was spent going over some of the stuff that blew me away - sort of like OSHA in the US. I was given a diagram of how to set up my desk to refrain from putting too much pressure on my back/neck. I was told I should get up and walk away from the computer about every 30 minutes to rest my eyes and to stretch. It was quite interesting.
Sarah and the other HR person Catherine then took me on a tour around the office. There are 2 full floors, with audit and IT down stairs, and everything else upstairs. Freaking huge. I was taken through the break out area where people typically go eat their lunch. Apparently, if you get in early (around 8), they serve breakfast every day (muffins, etc.). There is coffee and tea offered, along with hot chocolate. And, if you get hungry, you can visit the freezer and buy some ice cream. JACKPOT!
I was then taken to my desk where I will be stationed for 2 of the next 3 months. It belongs to someone out on leave, so they are letting me keep it. The staff and seniors here all have "Hotdesking" which means that you request a desk while you are in the office, since there are more people than desks, but most people are out on site at clients regularly. The assistant managers get permanent desks, managers get inside offices, and directors have exterior offices. Pretty sweet set up. The view from my desk is pretty good - I am right by a window. It is really just the city I see, as opposed to Panthers Stadium (and let's not forget the strip club) at home, but it is still a pretty nice view.
A 3rd year associate, Akke, was then assigned to walk me through the introductory manual - how to find stuff, where to locate files, where you do time sheet entry, etc. He's a nice guy and had a ton of questions about the US and NC, so it was kind of fun to answer all his questions. Then he let me get settled and later sent me a couple of websites for finding my way around the city. Nice guy. I met a few other random people here and there, and was given a huge bag of goodies (umbrella, water bottle, coffee mug, etc.). Akke then told me that lunch was from 1-2. Apparently he wasn't kidding. The office around me was completely vacant at 1:00 - everyone took off to eat lunch.
So I went downstairs and found a little place where they served meat pies. Not the best, but still one of my favorite foods around here. Think chicken pot pie with meat and without wasting time of all those gross veggies they put inside - like peas. So it's meat and gravy inside a tasty little pie shell. Right up my alley!
I got back from lunch, and Akke has sent me a schedule that showed my assignments. It took me a minute to figure it out, but I think I have how it works. He then came over and told me that I was assigned tomorrow, so he took me over to the manager on the job, Andrew. Andrew is a nice guy. I stopped back by later in the afternoon, and he told me about the client. Get this - it is an Aussie company that wants to list on a US exchange. So it is in the process of completing an S-1 registration statement with the SEC, which means they have to report under US GAAP requirements. So my first job here will be reviewing the financials to make sure that they comply with GAAP and SEC requirements. I flew all this way to be given a first job of pretty much the same thing I do back at home. Weird. The tougher part is that when we do the audit in July, I will have to audit the company under Australian rules, then audit the conversion, to get back to US GAAP. I'm thinking it might be easier if they just let me audit under the US requirements... But the filings for this job are being supervised by the National SEC office in Chicago, and the National SEC Director is one of the people reviewing the filing. Maybe I can get some brownie points when I go track her down at the Partner/Manager meeting in November and let her know I was the one working on the job. Although it depends on how screwed up things get - I might not want credit for it!
Oh, and the one other sweet thing about the office? Hours are 8:30-5, with an hour lunch in there. That's right - 7.5 hour days! Watch out, Charlotte - I might get used to this lifestyle!
I rolled out of bed, got out the door pretty quickly, and started my journey to the office. I do not have a car here in Sydney (I will be given one if I need it). Although it is probably a good thing, since I think this "left side of the road" driving might be a tough one to learn in such a busy city. So I have to find public transportation that will get me to my office building. My daily commute consists of the following: Walk out of the apartment building, go about 2 blocks and catch the bus. The bus then drives me down to the Wharf where I get on the ferry. The ferry is about a 20-minute ride, as there are 4 stops between mine (one end of the route) and Circular Quay (the other end of the route). But it is scenic and pretty, so I don't mind all that much. When we dock, I get off of the ferry, walk out of the wharf area, climb up the stairs, and I catch the train (mostly a subway where I ride it, although it goes above ground in some places). I ride the train two stops, and I get off in the heart of downtown (ironically called the "Town Centre" stop). I climb the stairs there, turn the corner past the Krispy Kreme doughnut shop, and then I walk through what can best be described as a huge mall. This thing called the Queen Victoria Building ("QVB") has something like 3 stories and about every store you can imagine. The funny thing is that most of the people I am walking with are business professionals. I really didn't notice many people going into any of the stores as I passed through. (http://www.qvb.com.au/ - check it out!) I then take an escalator upstairs, get to the end of the building, and walk about 4 blocks (following the monorail tracks above my head) to the building where the office is located. If anyone is looking on a Sydney map, the building is on the corner of Market and Kent, right by Darling Harbour.
So I get to the office around 9:00 - a little later than I expected, but I had no idea what length of time my route would take. I introduce myself to the receptionist, and she tells me to have a seat in the waiting area. You should see the view from this place! On the 19th floor - absolutely gorgeous view of Darling Harbour and lots of other stuff in the downtown area. So I sit and wait, just a bit enthralled by how large the reception area alone is.
I am then greeted by 2 people from HR. They are both very nice, and take me into a room to go over some introductory stuff. One of the girls, Sarah, walks me through the staff intro booklet. I would say that the bulk of the time was spent going over some of the stuff that blew me away - sort of like OSHA in the US. I was given a diagram of how to set up my desk to refrain from putting too much pressure on my back/neck. I was told I should get up and walk away from the computer about every 30 minutes to rest my eyes and to stretch. It was quite interesting.
Sarah and the other HR person Catherine then took me on a tour around the office. There are 2 full floors, with audit and IT down stairs, and everything else upstairs. Freaking huge. I was taken through the break out area where people typically go eat their lunch. Apparently, if you get in early (around 8), they serve breakfast every day (muffins, etc.). There is coffee and tea offered, along with hot chocolate. And, if you get hungry, you can visit the freezer and buy some ice cream. JACKPOT!
I was then taken to my desk where I will be stationed for 2 of the next 3 months. It belongs to someone out on leave, so they are letting me keep it. The staff and seniors here all have "Hotdesking" which means that you request a desk while you are in the office, since there are more people than desks, but most people are out on site at clients regularly. The assistant managers get permanent desks, managers get inside offices, and directors have exterior offices. Pretty sweet set up. The view from my desk is pretty good - I am right by a window. It is really just the city I see, as opposed to Panthers Stadium (and let's not forget the strip club) at home, but it is still a pretty nice view.
A 3rd year associate, Akke, was then assigned to walk me through the introductory manual - how to find stuff, where to locate files, where you do time sheet entry, etc. He's a nice guy and had a ton of questions about the US and NC, so it was kind of fun to answer all his questions. Then he let me get settled and later sent me a couple of websites for finding my way around the city. Nice guy. I met a few other random people here and there, and was given a huge bag of goodies (umbrella, water bottle, coffee mug, etc.). Akke then told me that lunch was from 1-2. Apparently he wasn't kidding. The office around me was completely vacant at 1:00 - everyone took off to eat lunch.
So I went downstairs and found a little place where they served meat pies. Not the best, but still one of my favorite foods around here. Think chicken pot pie with meat and without wasting time of all those gross veggies they put inside - like peas. So it's meat and gravy inside a tasty little pie shell. Right up my alley!
I got back from lunch, and Akke has sent me a schedule that showed my assignments. It took me a minute to figure it out, but I think I have how it works. He then came over and told me that I was assigned tomorrow, so he took me over to the manager on the job, Andrew. Andrew is a nice guy. I stopped back by later in the afternoon, and he told me about the client. Get this - it is an Aussie company that wants to list on a US exchange. So it is in the process of completing an S-1 registration statement with the SEC, which means they have to report under US GAAP requirements. So my first job here will be reviewing the financials to make sure that they comply with GAAP and SEC requirements. I flew all this way to be given a first job of pretty much the same thing I do back at home. Weird. The tougher part is that when we do the audit in July, I will have to audit the company under Australian rules, then audit the conversion, to get back to US GAAP. I'm thinking it might be easier if they just let me audit under the US requirements... But the filings for this job are being supervised by the National SEC office in Chicago, and the National SEC Director is one of the people reviewing the filing. Maybe I can get some brownie points when I go track her down at the Partner/Manager meeting in November and let her know I was the one working on the job. Although it depends on how screwed up things get - I might not want credit for it!
Oh, and the one other sweet thing about the office? Hours are 8:30-5, with an hour lunch in there. That's right - 7.5 hour days! Watch out, Charlotte - I might get used to this lifestyle!
THIS Is What I Was Thinking
Saturday night, after getting back from dinner, I figured out something new about my apartment. It was pretty cold in there, and I had noticed it was chilly Friday night, but I thought it was just because I was near a window. I looked all around the apartment and figured it out. Yep - no vents. Which means (drum roll please)... No heat! (Or air, but I don't think it will get very hot while I am here.) Welcome to my home - sweatshirt central. If it gets too bad, I have seen some space heaters around, so I can always go buy one. I am just trying to hold out and see if I can make it through the next little bit before going out and making that kind of purchase.
So Sunday was the big day that we headed into town. After a long walk, we found the wharf. Let me explain - There is a main road by my house. If you go one way, you head out to the North. If you go the other way, you go to the Sydney Harbour Bridge (a little bit of a haul, but I think it would be a 30 minute trip by bus). I actually saw the bridge while out walking on Saturday. But where I am off of this main road, if you fork off, you can walk down to Mosman Bay Wharf, where you can catch a boat across the Harbour to the "famous" side of Sydney.
So we hike down and find the wharf. We figured out (after we got there) that there was a bus that picks people up at the wharf. When we came back later that night, we found that the bus stop is about 2 minutes from my building. Sweet! But we go ahead and get on the ferry.
There is a spot where you turn out into the main channel, and there it was - my response to Friday's concerns. The view was incredible. You ride in on the water, and you see the bridge and the famous Opera House all right in front of you, as you head to the drop off at Circular Quay (pronounced "key"). It is pretty much the view you always see whenever the movies or the news show Sydney. But it was just a great feeling to think, "I am going to have this commute for the next 3 months!" Now THIS is what I was thinking when I signed up for this gig!
So Hughlene and I found our way around, found where I think the office is located and I have to show up at on Monday morning, and then just wander around downtown for a little while. We hung out in town for a few hours, and then had dinner in the Rocks, which is one of the more notable areas along the waterfront. (You all should be looking at maps while you read this post, I guess, because I have no idea how to describe where it is. Maybe by the end of the trip...)
So there was my Sunday - my calming day. Now I am excited about starting work in the morning - mostly because I know where to go and how to get there! Woo hoo!
Next blog post: My First Day... Try not to get too excited. Although I know it is hard - my life is absolutely fascinating and you are all experiencing extreme jealousy right now. It's okay - I understand. Just wait until I post some pictures!
So Sunday was the big day that we headed into town. After a long walk, we found the wharf. Let me explain - There is a main road by my house. If you go one way, you head out to the North. If you go the other way, you go to the Sydney Harbour Bridge (a little bit of a haul, but I think it would be a 30 minute trip by bus). I actually saw the bridge while out walking on Saturday. But where I am off of this main road, if you fork off, you can walk down to Mosman Bay Wharf, where you can catch a boat across the Harbour to the "famous" side of Sydney.
So we hike down and find the wharf. We figured out (after we got there) that there was a bus that picks people up at the wharf. When we came back later that night, we found that the bus stop is about 2 minutes from my building. Sweet! But we go ahead and get on the ferry.
There is a spot where you turn out into the main channel, and there it was - my response to Friday's concerns. The view was incredible. You ride in on the water, and you see the bridge and the famous Opera House all right in front of you, as you head to the drop off at Circular Quay (pronounced "key"). It is pretty much the view you always see whenever the movies or the news show Sydney. But it was just a great feeling to think, "I am going to have this commute for the next 3 months!" Now THIS is what I was thinking when I signed up for this gig!
So Hughlene and I found our way around, found where I think the office is located and I have to show up at on Monday morning, and then just wander around downtown for a little while. We hung out in town for a few hours, and then had dinner in the Rocks, which is one of the more notable areas along the waterfront. (You all should be looking at maps while you read this post, I guess, because I have no idea how to describe where it is. Maybe by the end of the trip...)
So there was my Sunday - my calming day. Now I am excited about starting work in the morning - mostly because I know where to go and how to get there! Woo hoo!
Next blog post: My First Day... Try not to get too excited. Although I know it is hard - my life is absolutely fascinating and you are all experiencing extreme jealousy right now. It's okay - I understand. Just wait until I post some pictures!
Monday, June 23, 2008
The First Full Day
So I slept okay the first night in the new place. The bed is relatively comfortable. Although the time here is really tough to adjust to. It is incredibly bright at 5 am, and it gets dark (I mean dark) by 6 pm. I guess it is winter time here. But just something else I have to get used to. I woke up at 5 or 6 am, had to figure out what time it was (no clock, remember?), and then thought there was no way I was getting up before 9. I managed to fall back asleep off and on, but holy crap, that sun is bright!
We spent Saturday afternoon walking around all over the place, looking for random things. Mosman (the area where I live) is a pretty neat little area, once you start walking around. There is a decent amount of stuff out there. So it helped my mood a little to get out and see where I was living, to see that it wasn't as unfortunate as I thought. So I am in a nicer section of town - I guess it is a suburb of Sydney? It is across the water from downtown, and then up a little ways. Still no clue how I am going to get into work, but at least I know what direction I will need to travel...
We managed to find somewhere to eat lunch, walked around some more, got some food/drinks for the apartment, and then went out to dinner. Food here, by the way, is all Asian. At least where I live. So you can pick from Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Vietnamese, whatever-ese. Oh, and of course you can probably find a McDonald's somewhere. But I also figured out something important to me at dinner, luckily before I asked for the beers available. All of the restaurants around me (unless it says "bar") are 1970s America. Yep - they brown bag it here. For those of you not familiar with the term, you bring in your beer/wine, give it to your server, and he/she sticks it in a fridge and brings out what you need throughout the meal. Then they get to charge something like $2 a pop as a "corkage" fee. When I retire, I am going into the creative consulting field, where I will come up with these random ways to make a buck off the little things. Maybe a fork fee? I'll give you a knife at my restaurant, but if you want a fork to eat with, you'll have to give me $5... That, or I am going to find some big restaurant section of town where it is "BYO" and open up a "Beer, Wine, & Spirits" store. I'm gonna be rich!
As I said, Saturday was relatively uneventful. After dinner, since it was super dark and all at 8:00, we decided to head back to the apartment and that we would spend Sunday figuring out how to get into the city from my little suburb flat...
We spent Saturday afternoon walking around all over the place, looking for random things. Mosman (the area where I live) is a pretty neat little area, once you start walking around. There is a decent amount of stuff out there. So it helped my mood a little to get out and see where I was living, to see that it wasn't as unfortunate as I thought. So I am in a nicer section of town - I guess it is a suburb of Sydney? It is across the water from downtown, and then up a little ways. Still no clue how I am going to get into work, but at least I know what direction I will need to travel...
We managed to find somewhere to eat lunch, walked around some more, got some food/drinks for the apartment, and then went out to dinner. Food here, by the way, is all Asian. At least where I live. So you can pick from Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Vietnamese, whatever-ese. Oh, and of course you can probably find a McDonald's somewhere. But I also figured out something important to me at dinner, luckily before I asked for the beers available. All of the restaurants around me (unless it says "bar") are 1970s America. Yep - they brown bag it here. For those of you not familiar with the term, you bring in your beer/wine, give it to your server, and he/she sticks it in a fridge and brings out what you need throughout the meal. Then they get to charge something like $2 a pop as a "corkage" fee. When I retire, I am going into the creative consulting field, where I will come up with these random ways to make a buck off the little things. Maybe a fork fee? I'll give you a knife at my restaurant, but if you want a fork to eat with, you'll have to give me $5... That, or I am going to find some big restaurant section of town where it is "BYO" and open up a "Beer, Wine, & Spirits" store. I'm gonna be rich!
As I said, Saturday was relatively uneventful. After dinner, since it was super dark and all at 8:00, we decided to head back to the apartment and that we would spend Sunday figuring out how to get into the city from my little suburb flat...
What In The Hell Was I Thinking?
So Friday was not all that exciting. We pretty much stayed in the apartment all day, and crashed on the couches (assuming you can call them that). When we both woke up at 10:15 and saw that Law & Order was recycling to an episode that we saw earlier in the day, we decided to call it a night.
Of course, Friday afternoon became my "What in the hell was I thinking" moment. (Yes, I promise that I am trying to keep these posts "PG" rated for everyone.) I got into the apartment fine, but I had no maps, no idea of where I was living, no clue as to where the new office was, how to get there, or even what time to show up on Monday morning. I called my contact over there and left a message, but apparently she was out for the afternoon, because she never returned my phone call. So I had no idea how to get in touch with anyone else, or who to get in touch with for that matter. I guess I would have some work to do over the weekend...
The apartment... Several of you have emailed me and asked about it. It is fine, just a little smaller and more modern than I am used to. I will try to take some pictures and post them over the next few days so everyone can see. The apartment is probably 200 square feet. You walk in the front door (several security features, though, just to get in, so that's nice); the kitchen area is on the right, the dining room/living room next to it. On the left, you have the bathroom, which may be the biggest room in the house (it doubles as the laundry room, as the washer and dryer are next to the toilet), then a little study/office area, and the bedroom, which is basically a bed with a closet on the side.
What one thing have I learned in my first day? Things just might happen for a reason. All my issues to get stuff packed into those 3 bags, each weighing under 50 pounds? There's a reason for it. If I had brought any more clothing, there would be absolutely no room for it. Seriously. The one closet in the entire house is full.
The shower is awesome, though, and the TV is a sweet flat screen HD. Awesome. So those are my two favorite things. Everything else is fine. Although there is only a little island (where the sink, dishwasher, and some drawers with silverware, etc. are located) that you can put stuff on and one shelf within the two kitchen cabinets to store food. So no weekly grocery shopping for me! But there is a fridge and dishwasher, along with a stove top and some sort of convection or microwave thing to cook in (haven't tried it, yet), so I think I am good to go.
At the time on Friday, everything with the apartment in some undisclosed location, the fact that I had not heard one thing from the office over here, and my problems with my cell phone which was supposed to work when I landed, but that I could not make calls on, I guess it just all sort of hit at once. And I thought, "Holy crap. 3 months here? Seriously? What in the hell was I thinking?"
But tomorrow is another day. I have to get out and find some things for the new place. Like a clock. And some food. And I am thinking that once I get out of the apartment, maybe things will get a little bit better.
Of course, Friday afternoon became my "What in the hell was I thinking" moment. (Yes, I promise that I am trying to keep these posts "PG" rated for everyone.) I got into the apartment fine, but I had no maps, no idea of where I was living, no clue as to where the new office was, how to get there, or even what time to show up on Monday morning. I called my contact over there and left a message, but apparently she was out for the afternoon, because she never returned my phone call. So I had no idea how to get in touch with anyone else, or who to get in touch with for that matter. I guess I would have some work to do over the weekend...
The apartment... Several of you have emailed me and asked about it. It is fine, just a little smaller and more modern than I am used to. I will try to take some pictures and post them over the next few days so everyone can see. The apartment is probably 200 square feet. You walk in the front door (several security features, though, just to get in, so that's nice); the kitchen area is on the right, the dining room/living room next to it. On the left, you have the bathroom, which may be the biggest room in the house (it doubles as the laundry room, as the washer and dryer are next to the toilet), then a little study/office area, and the bedroom, which is basically a bed with a closet on the side.
What one thing have I learned in my first day? Things just might happen for a reason. All my issues to get stuff packed into those 3 bags, each weighing under 50 pounds? There's a reason for it. If I had brought any more clothing, there would be absolutely no room for it. Seriously. The one closet in the entire house is full.
The shower is awesome, though, and the TV is a sweet flat screen HD. Awesome. So those are my two favorite things. Everything else is fine. Although there is only a little island (where the sink, dishwasher, and some drawers with silverware, etc. are located) that you can put stuff on and one shelf within the two kitchen cabinets to store food. So no weekly grocery shopping for me! But there is a fridge and dishwasher, along with a stove top and some sort of convection or microwave thing to cook in (haven't tried it, yet), so I think I am good to go.
At the time on Friday, everything with the apartment in some undisclosed location, the fact that I had not heard one thing from the office over here, and my problems with my cell phone which was supposed to work when I landed, but that I could not make calls on, I guess it just all sort of hit at once. And I thought, "Holy crap. 3 months here? Seriously? What in the hell was I thinking?"
But tomorrow is another day. I have to get out and find some things for the new place. Like a clock. And some food. And I am thinking that once I get out of the apartment, maybe things will get a little bit better.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
The Eagle Has Landed
Although it has taken me a while to get Internet access so that I can post this, uh, post, I am figuring that no one who will be reading this blog site will know about it by the time I am posting. So for those of you who have noticed that I am posting for previous events, you'll just have to get over it. I am trying to catch up while I have a little free time, which means there are going to be a few posts today, but I want to post updates on the past few days separately so (hopefully) those of you reading can follow my thought process. (Good luck!!!)
Checking into the airport was no big deal. I still have no clue why I had to get there 2 hours early, since I was flying through San Francisco. But no matter - we just got to hang out in the airport for a bit and wait. But just my luck, Hughlene was upgraded to first class for the flight from Charlotte to San Francisco. I, of course, was number one on the upgrade list. Which is where I remained through the duration of the flight to SFO. So the rest of my flight was relatively uneventful, but I did learn some new things along the way. Just thought I'd share some:
1. People watching at the airport is freaking awesome. You really cannot do much better. I saw everything from bratty little kids to men wearing shorts, sandals (with socks, of course), and blazers. I still haven't figured that one out.
2. Men, this one is for you: No matter how hip, trendy, metrosexual, whatever you might think you are, having the ringer on your cell phone set to the theme from "Sex In The City" still does not make you cool. Trust me.
3. So I got carded on the flight. Sort of. I ordered some Jack to go with my pre-nap drink, and the flight attendant said, "How old are you?" Come on! So I replied, "30." His response? "Really?" Then he handed me my drink. I guess people don't lie about being 30? If only I had known that little trick in college!
4. iPods rock! Thank you, thank you, thank you to Sally who gave me an iPod as an early birthday present. (Yes, I realize I am way behind the trend here.) It helped to drown out the noise from the lady next to me and her kid. Both only had one level of conversational voice inflection - LOUD. So the iPod kept being bumped up to drown them out while I was trying to sleep.
5. Tylenol PM - does not work. Maybe it did, but I couldn't tell. But since I woke up about 5 hours after I took it and was wide awake, I am going to bet on "no" here.
6. People cheering on a plane - WHAT IS THAT ALL ABOUT? I mean, I am glad we landed safely and all, but if you had that much doubt as to whether the plane was going to land properly or not, perhaps you should re-think flying! Besides, isn't taking off and landing what the pilot gets paid to do? I appreciate his dedication to his task and all, but I am not sure we need to cheer and applaud when he does his job properly. Or maybe I'm just missing out here. Charlotte work folks, here's the deal: I want us to be applauded for doing our standard, mundane jobs when I get back. We are going to start randomly cheering every time someone signs off on a work paper. And yes, I fully expect everyone to want to beat me down within a week's time. But I'm just trying to prove a point here...
7. Visas are a hoax. I had my paperwork all printed out from the visa that took me 2-3 months to get approved. I go up to customs and say, "Do you need to see this paperwork?" "No, I see it here in the computer." So I notice that the paperwork I have says that I have to have the visa documented within 30 days or something like that, so I ask the customs lady, "Do I need to do anything else with this?" "With what?" "Um, the visa paperwork." "Well, you probably could just hang onto it. It might be useful to have." All that work for a lousy 2 minutes of time. Brilliant.
The plane landed, we picked up our luggage and made it through security just fine. We walked out, and there was a man in a suit with my name on a board - picked up with style! So we climbed into a nice car, and were driven to the apartment where I will be living for the next 3 months. The only thing that rubbed me wrong was that I had no contact with the Australian folks, so I had no clue about anything - no contact, nothing. I did get a nice little tote bag from them with some snack food in it, but that's it. No notes on how to get to the office, nothing about where I was or how to get around, and nothing about what time I needed to report to the office on Monday. At least I can't be blamed if I am late!
I think I am out of items of note for now, so I will sign off this post by letting you know there is more to come. I'll describe the apartment in my next post!
Checking into the airport was no big deal. I still have no clue why I had to get there 2 hours early, since I was flying through San Francisco. But no matter - we just got to hang out in the airport for a bit and wait. But just my luck, Hughlene was upgraded to first class for the flight from Charlotte to San Francisco. I, of course, was number one on the upgrade list. Which is where I remained through the duration of the flight to SFO. So the rest of my flight was relatively uneventful, but I did learn some new things along the way. Just thought I'd share some:
1. People watching at the airport is freaking awesome. You really cannot do much better. I saw everything from bratty little kids to men wearing shorts, sandals (with socks, of course), and blazers. I still haven't figured that one out.
2. Men, this one is for you: No matter how hip, trendy, metrosexual, whatever you might think you are, having the ringer on your cell phone set to the theme from "Sex In The City" still does not make you cool. Trust me.
3. So I got carded on the flight. Sort of. I ordered some Jack to go with my pre-nap drink, and the flight attendant said, "How old are you?" Come on! So I replied, "30." His response? "Really?" Then he handed me my drink. I guess people don't lie about being 30? If only I had known that little trick in college!
4. iPods rock! Thank you, thank you, thank you to Sally who gave me an iPod as an early birthday present. (Yes, I realize I am way behind the trend here.) It helped to drown out the noise from the lady next to me and her kid. Both only had one level of conversational voice inflection - LOUD. So the iPod kept being bumped up to drown them out while I was trying to sleep.
5. Tylenol PM - does not work. Maybe it did, but I couldn't tell. But since I woke up about 5 hours after I took it and was wide awake, I am going to bet on "no" here.
6. People cheering on a plane - WHAT IS THAT ALL ABOUT? I mean, I am glad we landed safely and all, but if you had that much doubt as to whether the plane was going to land properly or not, perhaps you should re-think flying! Besides, isn't taking off and landing what the pilot gets paid to do? I appreciate his dedication to his task and all, but I am not sure we need to cheer and applaud when he does his job properly. Or maybe I'm just missing out here. Charlotte work folks, here's the deal: I want us to be applauded for doing our standard, mundane jobs when I get back. We are going to start randomly cheering every time someone signs off on a work paper. And yes, I fully expect everyone to want to beat me down within a week's time. But I'm just trying to prove a point here...
7. Visas are a hoax. I had my paperwork all printed out from the visa that took me 2-3 months to get approved. I go up to customs and say, "Do you need to see this paperwork?" "No, I see it here in the computer." So I notice that the paperwork I have says that I have to have the visa documented within 30 days or something like that, so I ask the customs lady, "Do I need to do anything else with this?" "With what?" "Um, the visa paperwork." "Well, you probably could just hang onto it. It might be useful to have." All that work for a lousy 2 minutes of time. Brilliant.
The plane landed, we picked up our luggage and made it through security just fine. We walked out, and there was a man in a suit with my name on a board - picked up with style! So we climbed into a nice car, and were driven to the apartment where I will be living for the next 3 months. The only thing that rubbed me wrong was that I had no contact with the Australian folks, so I had no clue about anything - no contact, nothing. I did get a nice little tote bag from them with some snack food in it, but that's it. No notes on how to get to the office, nothing about where I was or how to get around, and nothing about what time I needed to report to the office on Monday. At least I can't be blamed if I am late!
I think I am out of items of note for now, so I will sign off this post by letting you know there is more to come. I'll describe the apartment in my next post!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Tomorrow, Tomorrow - It's Only A Day Away
So after two days of freaking out over how much crap I have, how small my suitcases are, and balancing those things against the ridiculous luggage requirements from US Scare, I think I am finally packed. Janice (my sister for those of you who do not know her) came over for lunch, saw my first attempt at packing, said, "You really suck at this," and proceeded to repack most of my bags. Sweet. All it took was four of five of those space saver bags that suck the air out of everything, and I managed to use Jan's repacking skills to transform this thing into a new art form.
For those of you I have complained to about it, I now have what I hope to be three months of my life packed into three relatively small bags with weights of 42, 35, and 27 pounds according to my at-home scale. If things go the way they should, my bags should weigh that same amount at the airport. (The rationale behind that thought process is because I always weigh several pounds more at the doctor than I do at home, and I am quite certain that my home scale is the one that is right.)
So in about 16 hours, I will be headed to the airport to start this new little journey in my life. Everyone has been super supportive of my plans, and I am 100 percent sure that I am doing what I am supposed to with my life right now. Although I am really going to miss JJ (my cat) and Hobbes (Sally's cat) for the next three months... But I don't want to think about that, so I am off to finish loading every CD I can come up with onto my iPod for the 24-hour travel time...
The next time I post, I will be in Australia. So I will talk to you all "on the flip side!" (It's punny - get it?)
For those of you I have complained to about it, I now have what I hope to be three months of my life packed into three relatively small bags with weights of 42, 35, and 27 pounds according to my at-home scale. If things go the way they should, my bags should weigh that same amount at the airport. (The rationale behind that thought process is because I always weigh several pounds more at the doctor than I do at home, and I am quite certain that my home scale is the one that is right.)
So in about 16 hours, I will be headed to the airport to start this new little journey in my life. Everyone has been super supportive of my plans, and I am 100 percent sure that I am doing what I am supposed to with my life right now. Although I am really going to miss JJ (my cat) and Hobbes (Sally's cat) for the next three months... But I don't want to think about that, so I am off to finish loading every CD I can come up with onto my iPod for the 24-hour travel time...
The next time I post, I will be in Australia. So I will talk to you all "on the flip side!" (It's punny - get it?)
Friday, June 13, 2008
Countdown - 5 Days To Go
I have been thinking about it, and I figure with the time difference and the fact that few of my friends actually like to talk on the phone, this blog site would be a good way to keep in touch with everyone. Plus it keeps me from having to email the same stories 20 different times. Welcome to my first attempt at a blog post. Yikes! My current plan is to update this thing every day or two, so that you all can keep up with my life, since phone conversations will be difficult with the 14-hour time difference! (Although everyone is more than welcome to try to call me!)
So here it is, five days from when I fly off to this new adventure. Everyone keeps asking me if I have started packing, yet. Hmm... Maybe I should get on that! I am starting to wonder if I am taking this trip too lightly. I mean, my theory is that if I forget it, I can buy it over there. As long as I have my favorite shirts, pants, and clothes for work that first week, I should be good to go, right? Although I will challenge everyone reading this post to consider trying to pack three months of stuff into three suitcases and still keeping under the 50-pound weight limit per bag! (And thanks to those traveling with me for scaling back and carrying an extra bag for me!)
With five days left, I know that I will not have time to see everyone that I want to say goodbye to before I leave. I am sorry if you are one of the ones I could not catch before I left, and please know that I wanted to see all of you before getting on that plane! But I will be home soon with a batch of photos and stories to share. (I know -Uh oh! Jenny will have more stories to tell!) I will miss all of you, so please keep in touch. Send photos, stories, etc. my way - anything that you have to keep me updated on how things are going back at home.
So here it is, five days from when I fly off to this new adventure. Everyone keeps asking me if I have started packing, yet. Hmm... Maybe I should get on that! I am starting to wonder if I am taking this trip too lightly. I mean, my theory is that if I forget it, I can buy it over there. As long as I have my favorite shirts, pants, and clothes for work that first week, I should be good to go, right? Although I will challenge everyone reading this post to consider trying to pack three months of stuff into three suitcases and still keeping under the 50-pound weight limit per bag! (And thanks to those traveling with me for scaling back and carrying an extra bag for me!)
With five days left, I know that I will not have time to see everyone that I want to say goodbye to before I leave. I am sorry if you are one of the ones I could not catch before I left, and please know that I wanted to see all of you before getting on that plane! But I will be home soon with a batch of photos and stories to share. (I know -Uh oh! Jenny will have more stories to tell!) I will miss all of you, so please keep in touch. Send photos, stories, etc. my way - anything that you have to keep me updated on how things are going back at home.
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