Full Time vs. Part Time

Recently I've started a new job... a full time job. And this weekend marks the end of my first week at this new job. Right after being accepted for this new job I was thinking how great things were working out as I got this new job when I needed the extra savings and was ready for a new challenge in life. I was super excited! Then, a week or two before starting this new job I started to think... hmmm a full time job means I no longer get my 4 day weekends... I no longer get to go shopping and meet friends simply when I felt like... and I no longer got to roll around in bed deciding what to do next!

I have no doubt that pros outweigh the cons because I'm ready for this new challenge (of learning new things, meeting new people, growing as a person, earning the extra money and so forth). But then... saying good bye to a 4 day weekend (that is something I still can't get out of my mind)! 

But nevertheless it got me thinking about whether part time work is better or full time. So here are my pros for the two:

And the cons for either would obviously be the opposite of the other (so a con for Full Time would be less time, more stress and so on).

But then, I realized if you're working full time in a job that you are genuinely interested in and passionate about, you tend to look beyond the cons; the cons don't really stand out much and dissolve into the background so that the only cons about the job turn out to be waking up early in the mornings or not getting to watch your favorite morning show!

I guess in many ways deciding the pros and cons really depends on you as an individual. Though part time work appeals to me in many ways, I would have to say full time work appeals to me in many other ways. (Let's see what I have to say a year from today!)

Aireys Inlet- January 2010- the beauty of part time work!

~Changes~

Note: this post comprises mainly of just some random thoughts that have been swimming in my mind for the past few weeks. It might not really hold your attention for much... but felt it's something to ponder.
How many times have we decided to change something about ourselves? Whether we're changing because we're tired of the same old thing day in-day out or because we want to be a better person, there is always some point where we want a change.


But then changes can be scary... changes lead to something different... If it's not broken why fix it? So why are people looking for changes- whether it be a new hair style, a new job or even a new city?

Source: Art Therapy Blog

In my personal opinion, and through what I've experienced, I've begun to feel that the want for change comes from people's longing to grow and to learn new things. Or more simply, it's just a part of humans that are never satisfied with what they have. 


Let's imagine you get a job in a new city. This would be one heck of a change. You're not only getting a new job (most likely a better pay, better benefits and it'd probably be something that you really are passionate about otherwise you wouldn't really be ready to get up and leave everything you already have), but you're getting a whole new life as well! So the day you get the news you've landed this job is usually the happiest. You can't believe you actually got the job; you think of all the excitement in store for you; the world is basically your oyster.


Then slowly as the days pass by you begin to realize all of the things you need to do- find a new place to live... figure out your daily commute to work and back... learn a new language (if the new city entails a new country)... work out all of the paperwork... make new friends... and the list seems to continue. Then you start to think, why did I want this change? Is THIS big a change really something I wanted? 


I mean in the end everything is most likely going to be fine, if not great. And you'll adjust to your new life and realize that making this move was a really good decision... but it's just the fact that until this new change becomes an everyday part of life, you tend to constantly wonder if this was all a good idea. 

Random Pic... but sure shows changes in people!

Picture of "Changes Next Exit" from Art Blog http://www.arttherapyblog.com/c/art-therapy-ideas/

Island Hopping Continues

During the Thai New Years in April, a few of us decided to go to Koh Phangnan which is world famous for its Full Moon parties. We didn't actually plan the trip FOR the party but decided if we're going there then might as well make it fall during one of the parties.

Unfortunately for us the party was the day we arrived. That was after 11 hours on a bus (with little or no sleep as it was too uncomfortable to get any kind of sleep) and then another 3 hours on a boat under the April sun (which is probably the hottest time in Thailand reaching well into the 40 degrees Celsius range).

Yes we made it to the full moon party... all dead and tired... 11 hours on the bus and then another 3 hours under the Thailand's April sun= dehydration and utter exhaustion

We stayed at a resort called the Charm Beach Resort- the picture on the right is the charming beach view we had... and frankly this resort was everything but charming!

Snorkeling!

Our supposedly 'Air Con' train- covered with dust and filth!

Destination: Koh Samui

Sleeping Beauties- on our way to Koh Samui

My Dashing Dai

Catching some waves-- notice how it looks like I'm drowning and no one really seems to care

My first elephant ride- we got the grumpiest guide of the lot!

Bell-head

Mumified Monk

Destination: Krabi
One thing I realized about Krabi is that the pictures all turned out far better than the actual view. When we were there we were thinking, ah okay this place isn't too bad, but we prefer some of the other islands. The water was a funny color, a lot of jellyfish and worst of all was that the water felt strange against the skin. But when we got home and looked at our pictures we were shocked- are these really our pictures? The water looks a perfect shade of blue, perfect skies, perfect postcard pics!

After arriving in Krabi- I like my hair here :)

Posing along the beach of Koh Phi Phi

Protecting themselves from the ocean's sprays

Emerald Lake (or so it was called)

Fishy fishy fishyyyyyyy

Flowers abloom! - my first long island iced tea :)

Koh Tao and Kanchanaburi

As a year passed by in Bangkok, my friends and I realized that we needed to start exploring. We had already used a year to get accustomed and decided we couldn't afford to lose any more time. And so began our days of what we called "Island Hopping".

Every holiday we got we decided to go to a new destination. And being from Kathmandu (land of mountains and hills) we decided to go to places that we would go to places that we couldn't go to back home, ie the beach!

Our first trip was to the tiny island off of Thailand's mainland- Koh Tao. 

Posing before getting our fins on

First time going snorkeling- how exciting!

Shark Island- here we are looking for the "small" grey sharks that are found lurking in this area

Two Legs Good... Four Legs Better? 

Water Gymnastics

So that was a little summary of our trip to Koh Tao. The most picturesque photographs are all stored away on discs back home in Kathmandu so had to choose from a limited number.

Below are pictures from Kanchanaburi (a small town a few hours West of Bangkok). It is most popular for the Bridge on the River Kwai (on which more than half of the POWs building the bridge during WWII died from diseases and accidents);  Tiger Temple- temple where you can actually pet and take picture next to tigers and The Erawan Waterfall- which consists of 7 layers of waterfalls each more spectacular than the previous.

Of these three attractions we did not make it to the Tiger Temple. Below are some snippets of our trip to Kanchanaburi. Pictures from the War Museum and cemetery have been left out because they just feel too depressing.

On-the-Lake accommodation in Kanchanaburi, Thailand- was super excited when we arrived as I'd never slept in such a place before, but soon realized it's not for those who easily get sea sick. Anyone walking to their room or a boat passing by set off the feeling of 'is it just me or is the room moving?'

On the River Kwai Bridge 

Taking a ferry ride across to a Thai Buddhist temple- the color and the smell of the water was terrible- had to be careful not to get any on you!

At the top of the Erawan Waterfall

Cats!

I've never really been much of a cat person after I had a cat slide down my leg with its claws shredding my brand new tights at the impressionable age of 5. I don't mind cats... but after that traumatizing experience, I decided cats and I didn't go along too well (unless of course the cat in question was Garfield).

So when I woke up this morning after having dreamt of cats, kittens and more cats you can imagine the shudder that went down my spine. Yup! I dreamt that I walked into a room where I kept finding cats of all different types- new born, full grown, brownish ones, yellow ones, grey ones (but no black or white ones). And you can imagine how startled I was to see a cat staring at me from my neighbour's yard as I walked to catch the bus this morning.

The whole way to work I kept thinking about that darn dream and what it meant. When I finally got here I couldn't help but Google CAT DREAMS. There was quite a bit of information online- some which made me think could it really mean what they were saying was true while others made me hope that there was no real meaning to that dream.

Most dream intepretations stressed on the meaning of cat dreams being related to the feminine side of the dreamer - okay that makes sense as we tend to relate cats and women... The following are the intepretations I came across:

1. Bella Online The Voice of Women: "Cats are still associated with mystery, perhaps because their behavior is so aloof and difficult to interpret. As mysterious, aloof creatures, cats symbolize the intuition, and when they appear in dreams they may be asking us to use our intuition more, to rely on our gut feelings and instinct."

2. Global Oneness: "Cats- To dream of a cat, denotes ill luck, if you do not succeed in killing it or driving it from your sight." And here basically they described the different forms of dreams that are possible and the different types of "ill luck" that would follow (yikes!) But then I realised none of those really applied to me. So... I scrolled down a bit further.... "Cats have both positive and negative connotations. You need to consider all of the details in the dream in order to obtain accurate interpretation. The cat can be a symbol of sexuality, femininity, prosperity and power. A cat is also an independent animal, and in your dream you may be associating yourself or someone else with these characteristics. Usually the dream is telling you about yourself and not others. Historically black cats have been symbols of evil and bad luck. If you are a cat lover and have one as a pet, the symbolism may not apply to your dream. Old, superstition-based dream interpretations say that a cat is a bad omen and that you can expect deceit from those that you trust."

3. Suite 101.com- "Experiences with domineering, smothering, coddling, or over-protective women lead to negative anima association. Femme fatale anima images result in self-sabotaging ideations leading toward destruction. Another way a negative anima association manifests is in unrealistic feminine images that no waking life woman can ever live up to. Cat dreams symbolizing negative anima images include dreams of stalking cats or tigers, hissing cats, cats climbing all over the body, a stalking cat the man cannot avoid, or even cat dreams where the dreamer is devoured by cats." Yup, the cats were all over me and others in the dream! But who is this domineering woman I'm dreaming about?

4. Dream Moods: This is usually my dream bible... I go here everytime I have a weird dream. "To see a cat in your dream, symbolizes an independent spirit, feminine sexuality, creativity, and power. It also represents misfortune and bad luck. The cat could indicate that someone is being deceitful or treacherous toward you. If the cat is aggressive, then it suggests that you are having problems with the feminine aspect of yourself. The dream may be a metaphor for "cattiness" or someone who is "catty" and malicious. If you see a cat with no tail, then it signifies a loss of independence and lack of autonomy. To dream that a cat is biting you, symbolizes the devouring female. Perhaps you are taking and taking without giving. You may be expressing some fear or frustration especially when something is not going as planned. To dream that you chase the cat away, signifies that you will overcome your obstacles. (Woo Hoo!) To see a white cat in your dream, denotes that you are going through difficult times. To see a black cat in your dream, indicates that you are experiencing some fear in using your psychic abilities and believing in your intuition. You may erroneously associate the black cat with evil, destruction, and bad luck." So all in all... it seems all dream dictionaries are telling me about some obstacles... some ill luck that I'll need to face.... Do I listen to what they tell me and prepare myself (whatever that may mean) or do I tell myself that it was just a dream? References:

1. Dream Moods. http://www.dreammoods.com/dreamthemes/animals.htm

2. Global Oneness. Meaning of Dreams about Cats http://www.experiencefestival.com/meaning_of_dreams_about_cats

3. Ireland, A. (2010). Cats, Cats- Dream Symbols. http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art10577.asp

4. Ireland, A. (2010). Cats as Dream Symbols. http://spiritual-growth.suite101.com/article.cfm/interpreting-cats-in-dreams

Pictures:

1. Garfield http://www.myfreewallpapers.net/cartoons/pages/garfield-and-oddie-faces.shtml

2. Cats http://www.dam7.com/Images/Cats/images/myspace-cats-images-0004.jpg

Bangkok Daze

Life hardly ever turns out the way you picture it to be. You end up doing things you never dreamed of, you go places you never expect to and you end up with people you never thought you were compatible with. Going to Bangkok for my undergrad was exactly one of those things that I had neither planned for, nor was it something I ever dreamed of. 

Arriving in Bangkok I got off the plane with my tummy doing somersaults wondering what was I thinking! I'm arriving in BANGKOK for my UNDERGRAD!!!! I had always dreamt of going back to the States or going to Australia for college... how did I end up in Bangkok? But at the end of the 3 years I spent in Bangkok I realized Bangkok gave me a different kind of college experience compared to my friends in the countries that I had dreamed of growing up.

The visa we, as students, go to Bangkok under does not allow any kind of work. So...... if you're not busy working; not too busy with studies, what else is there to do than have fun? During those 3 years in Bangkok, I traveled like I'd never traveled before; met all kinds of people I never thought existed in real life and experienced a kind of life I never pictured for myself. 

Well this blog is mostly a picture memoir of my Bangkok days. Hope you enjoy!

View from my room looking out on Rama IV, or Phalam See as they refer to in Bangkok.
I lived quite in the heart of the city with Carrefour and Tesco Lotus near by. I quite enjoyed my stay there as there was always something interesting happening with adorable children, Thai and foreign boxers and I guess the most exciting would have to be the models. 

my VOGUE cover
One of those days we were super bored. Not hot enough to HAVE to leave the room, but hot enough to get WEIRD ideas.... 

Jim Thompson House
Wanting to do all the touristy things (after a year of being in Bangkok) we decided to visit the museums and do some sightseeing. Had interesting antiques and artifacts. And was near MBK :)

Christmas in Bangkok
Christmas is always a very gaudy and colorful affair anywhere, but more so in Bangkok! (Notice the jumpers and shawls- yes it was a rather cool evening mostly like no less than 20 degree Celsius!)

My 23rd Birthday at Saxophone
A birthday I can NEVER forget! (at a VERY nice jazz pub at Victory Monument)

Gypy Days
Recording a tarot session with our very own tipsy gypsy 

Dream World
This was right after I refused to go on the water "rollercoaster" because I didn't want to sit in soaking wet jeans. The very next ride was one which they convinced me would only get a little water on me.... At the end of the ride I could literally ring out my hair, shirt, and jeans!

New Years Eve 2006
My first new years eve with my mom after about 5 years and this had to be the New Years Eve that was shaken up with bombs all over Bangkok!

BUIC International Fair
Our stall at the Bangkok Uni International College International Fair. Yes there were moments of extreme boredom in the EXTREME heat (about 40C) 

Jewelry
An up close pic of some of the jewelry that we were selling at our stall. I just found it pretty :)

E-bay... All the Way!

I for one LOVE shopping! I can be shopping for shoes, a

new dress or even a new shampoo, I just love that state exhilaration you feel when you make a new purchase. And I've begun to notice that I don't need to really buy anything for myself to feel happy. I can be buying a present for a friend, or can be just window shopping but the bright sparkly lights always have a way of making grim day look.... brighter. As girls I think we are innately programmed to wander in front of shops, pick up and try on different sizes and shapes of clothing and shoes (regardless of whether we really intend to buying them or not) and feeling good after buying nothing but a hairband to pull our hair back for our facials.

Recently I've dipped into the world of online shopping. This indeed is a whole new world. Exciting yet foreign. Foreign yet convenient and, provided you shop with trustworthy sellers, as reliable as shopping from shops in the real world.

So what makes online shopping so in? Well from a personal point of view, you get to sit comfortably and look at a wide variety of goods without worrying about shop keepers telling you "No food or drinks allowed"; you don't have to worry about the kids complaining that they're hungry or bored (and those of you without kids but with husbands or boyfriends who are likely to have the same complaints would also know what I'm talking about here)! With online shopping you actually get to compare two different dresses by opening two windows side by side (as opposed to taking a good look at one dress in Country Road taking mental notes then rushing to Witchery just to realize you preferred the first dress from Country Road)! And if you are one of those people who prefers to try on clothes and shoes before buying them (I tend to feel that way now and then) I realized that books, dvds and bags (and frankly all other things that don't really require a size) can be much cheaper online (plus they are delivered to your door).

So where am I headed with this? Well my purpose of this blog is not only to point out how much I love shopping and the pros of online shopping. I'm here to introduce a new online E-bay store, Compass Navigator. It's new (and by new I mean it's at the stage of building up its reputation so great bargains are up for grabs) and it has interesting products (by interesting there is a range of branded clothes, bags and shoes, to DVDs, books and hand-made jewelry).

What makes Compass Navigator special to me is the fact that it is family run. So it's not some big multi national corporation out just to make profits, but it was established to provide decent quality goods at affordable prices. The idea behind it started pretty much with the love of shopping but not wanting to have to fork out hundreds of dollars to get something comfortable, durable yet fashionable.

Sooooo.... I'd say, if you are looking for a trust worthy company that believes in providing fashion at affordable prices AND excellent customer service, then you must stop by- Compass Navigator

Snapshot view of the store....

Pictures from:

1. Neo Fashion Blog http://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://www.neolusion.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/shoppin.png&imgrefurl=http://www.neolusion.com/latest-trends-shopping-advice/&usg=__GGz32AGUWffXRtiIfOyWRwcotQ8=&h=351&w=367&sz=124&hl=en&start=3&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=d-5M2HF4me3SoM:&tbnh=117&tbnw=122&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dshopping%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26tbs%3Disch:1

2. Funny Cartoons and Pictures. http://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://www.neolusion.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/shoppin.png&imgrefurl=http://www.neolusion.com/latest-trends-shopping-advice/&usg=__GGz32AGUWffXRtiIfOyWRwcotQ8=&h=351&w=367&sz=124&hl=en&start=3&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=d-5M2HF4me3SoM:&tbnh=117&tbnw=122&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dshopping%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26tbs%3Disch:1

Random Boredom

a lil something i did while watching tv

Real Beauty

Recently with the overload of advertisements and free samples being thrown around I've been trying to figure out which shampoo to buy next! Do I go for something that's cheap or do I splurge and go for "the good stuff"? Do I want silky straight hair or do I want something that will give my hair more moisturizing? Oh the choices a girl has to make!

Now having gone along the continuum of cheap to the more pricey stuff, I've decided to go deeper... Look for a company that has more meaning that just selling shampoo! (Yes while writing this it does strike me as odd, but when you love shampoo shopping as much as I do and have all the extra time that I do.... you have the time to make mountains out of molehills).

So, getting back to my decision to spend on a company that is showing some kind of corporate social responsibility, I realized there are quite a few brands that are wholly Australian made or those that are doing their bit to protect the environment. The campaign that struck me as most inspiring and most note worthy (at the moment) has to be Dove's campaign for Real Beauty.

Dove's campaign shows off the fact that 'real women have curves', it shows off that models in advertisements do not just wake up looking as glamorous as they are portrayed to be. "According to a press release, Dove wants to make women feel more beautiful every day by challenging today's stereotypical view of beauty and inspiring women to take great care of themselves" (Media Awareness Network, 2010).

In 2004, Dove released a study that they used as a spring board to launch their Campaign for Real Beauty. Among the findings of the study, were the following statistics:

• Only 2% of women describe themselves as beautiful.
• 63% strongly agree that society expects women to enhance their physical attractiveness. 45% of women feel women who are more beautiful have greater opportunities in life.
• More than two-thirds (68%) of women strongly agree that "the media and advertising set an unrealistic standard of beauty that most woman can't ever achieve."
• The majority (76%) wish female beauty was portrayed in the media as being made up of more than just physical attractiveness.
• Seventy-five percent went on to say that they wish the media did a better job of portraying women of diverse physical attractiveness, including age, shape and size.

Source: Only Two Percent of Woman Describe Themselves as Beautiful: New Global Study Uncovers Desire for Broader Definition of Beautyhttp://www.dove.ca/en/#/cfrb/onlytwo.aspx/

But I think what impressed me the most about Dove's campaign is that they did not stop at just advertising that need to promote Real Beauty by having women (not the food deprived, over exercising models) pose in their advertisements. But when I went through Dove Australia's website, there is a whole section dedicated to this campaign and further information about the issue of body image, The Butterfly Foundation and the Dove Self-Esteem Fund. All of which reinforce Dove's message to "encourage young girls to have a realistic and healthy body image" (Unilever, 2007).

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to sell Dove products here. I just wanted to bring your attention to a worthy campaign that a large corporation is helping to fund and raise awareness about. Many skeptics may say that it is all a part of their marketing campaign; but even if it is, they are still helping to highlight a very important message that impacts many young girls' lives.

References:

*Media Awareness Network. (2010). Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty. http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/resources/educational/teachable_moments/campaignrealbeauty.cfm

Picture of Dove woman also from Media Awareness Network

Dove Campaign for Real Beauty. http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.com.au/dove-self-esteem-fund/links.asp

Fight the Cold Au Naturale!

The past week I've been battling the common cold, all the while trying to keep life as normal as possible. My mom has always told me that a sickness is always at least 80% psychological (in her view you are sick because you have the luxury to be sick). So, whenever I can I try my best to pretend everything is fine and get on with life's daily tasks. It works most of the time, but sometimes it just tires you out even more. And this week has been one of those times that succumbing to the sickness has been the ultimate option.

Fighting the common cold is really not as easy as it seems! Sure you read everywhere articles about what to do to fight symptoms of a cold or the flu or how to keep warm and healthy this winter! But which of those really work?!? Which of those will really help you fend off the sneaky rhinovirus that is just floating in the air and on nearly every surface imaginable!

Nearly all articles I've come across state the importance of exercise (but not over doing it), washing of hands, stocking up on fresh fruits and veggies, vitamin supplements and getting plentiful of rest.

Here is my own list of things that really worked this week for me

1. Hot lemon and honey- cured my sore throat over two days

2. Facial steam (with some salt thrown in before bed)- really helped clear up my nose for better sleep!

3. Cloves- keep them in your mouth and keeps the cough away

4. Sleep- yes it really did help!

5. Oranges and grapefruits- well I'm not sure if these really did help in fighting off my cold because I'm not sure what quantities I should be consuming... I generally had about 1-2 oranges a day and a grapefruit here and there, which I doubt was enough, but hey a little dose of vitamin C is better than nothing!

6. Medicine- And now that my head is pounding I've decided that I can't do without good ol' Panadol.

But all in all I think taking the more natural remedies is a good way to fight the cold, as long as you have nothing pressing going on that demands you to be in the best of heath. And when it comes to the end of the day, a treatment for any kind of sickness is always different from person to person. You need to know your body, give different treatments a try and see what works. While ice cream may cure one person's sickness, it may just be very well the cause of another's sickness.

References (and pictures)

1. 10 Common Sense Flu Fighting Tips! http://bestbodybootcamp.wordpress.com/2009/11/11/10-common-sense-flu-fighting-tips/

2. Lemon Benefits http://masoodmemon.wordpress.com/2009/09/29/lemon-benefits/