Big ol' World of Esa

The F - word

2008-04-09T22:07:00.020+08:00

Um.. as if that's the worst of it. THIS guy, will even use the C-word to prove his point.

GORDON RAMSAY,
(my latest addition hero alongside Ghandi, Valentino Rossi, Brett Lee & Matthew Pavlich - there may be others who have escaped me, just now)
Is the star of shows such as Hell's Kitchen, the F-Word & Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares - all shows I have recently become addicted to.

Is it his fluency in profanities which appeals to me, his rough presence, his direct approach, brutal honesty, no-BS attitude, his almost caveman-esque masculinity, arrogance, absolute excellence in everything or simply his exuding success?

I'm not sure, but I do love watching the guy & if making serious dollars isn't his main aim/ priority but trying to instill in people an appreciation for the culinary experience is.. then he has inspired me.

I WANNA BE A FOOD CRITIC WHEN I
GROW UP.

Suddenly, any restaurant won't do. Its not that I want to fine dine every night or expect silver service everywhere I go but I do expect food & service worth paying for with our hard-earned cash. Its not too much to ask.

Why is it so hard to find a restaurant which knows how to attract you with clean & funky decor, welcome you with a certain ambience, entertain/ serve you with excellent waitstaff & finally appetize you with beautifully presented dishes & satisfy you with delicious food?

If a job's worth doing, its worth doing well.

Ex PM.. replaced by Krudd

2008-04-09T21:46:00.015+08:00

Ahhh.. politics.

That's all I got, 'cause I'd have to be desperate as a housewife for material to subject you to THAT.

On that relieving note, I bring you back to my observation (eons of blogs ago) of those who use the excuse of adjusting one's specs to secretly flip the bird.

A while back I came across this photo -------> of our ex PM, brilliantly giving the finger (with not-so-brilliant subtlety)

Aussie politicians certainly set themselves apart from the rest, don't they?

Ooh-la-la

2007-10-04T22:47:00.000+08:00

You know those annoying, spoilt-rotten brats everyone hates?

Yup. That's me alright.

It was my birthday on Saturday 29th September & I honestly thought at 26 years old.. my days of getting awesome presents & everything I ever dreamed of were big, fat O.V.E.R. Then I got hit by the J-train & all my Christmases came at once.

He gave me a beautiful Louis Vuitton Pochette Florentine (bum-bag for the uninitiated) and it was love at first sight.

It was the perfect gift & only the frickin' beginning! Justin organized a dinner at Portofino's with 4 of my favourite people in the whole World (Mum, Dad, Tri & himself, of course) on the Friday evening, which was wonderful.. and YUMMY!

Oh & the actual DAY!.. In a nutshell it truly felt like MY day. From when I yawned in the morning & opened my eyes, to hitting the bed hard at the end of an exhausting day - he made every minute mine & filled the day with doing & seeing things, he knew I would love.

To be completely annoying, smug & corny, I'll say this, though.. truth is, he makes me feel like a PRINCESS every single day .

Property Tycoon

2007-09-12T08:44:00.000+08:00

About a week ago, we bought a house. Our first EVER.

I was sooooooo nervous that my hands were all clammy & shaking.

We were really determined to get ourselves a great buy (the asian in us was frothing at the mouth, for a bargain) but we love this place & didn't want to miss out all-together.
We pretty much came just under our 'ceiling' price by approx. 20k & thought we were AWESOME when our offer was accepted (maybe a little too quickly) the next day. What a price for our 'dream home'!

We have entered the market.. and as PROPERTY TYCOONS.
Then a couple of days later, I logged onto the real estate website & saw the following under the listing for our place..

Another property SOLD in 10 days!

Bleh.

What no Barleys?

2007-09-11T13:47:00.000+08:00

The other day I got 'tagged'.. when I have time (& feel inspired) I'll get to it, but for now I'll say this: me & the few mates I know who blog are not the only ones (watf?).

I did some research (because I'm a closet nerd) and found that Justin got tagged by Cat, Cat by Sha & I KNOW SHA! She's creative & talented (judging by her blog) & I never knew. She refers to someone else who blogs, who lives in the US & is sooooo funny. Half an hour goes by & I've been engrossed reading blogs written by people I don't even know. Yup, strange, I know.

Suddenly my blogs seem insignificant & not completely up to scratch. I need to get interesting.. is there a store somewhere where I can buy me some o' that?

So being tagged has opened my eyes to the size of the blog community & I am worried by the quality of my contribution.

Is there no BARLEYS?
At least give me some time to think (or plageurise).

.

Request to the Senate

2007-09-10T13:12:00.000+08:00

Please seek approval to pass the following bill..

NEW BREAKDOWN FOR 7-DAY WEEK

4-day working week (Mon, Tues, Thurs & Fri)
'Working Week' refers to one's daily grind

1-day midweek i-day (amend day currently known as 'Wednesday' to 'Webday')
To write blogs, update facebook &/ myspace, post on forums & check out the latest funnies on YouTube

2-day weekend (Sat & Sun)
Rest & Relax (ha!)

Also request the following from Mother Nature, in her absence or for lack of authority on such matters.. please make a deal with Global Warming:

Friday pm: fine & warm (perfect beer-drinking weather)
Saturday am: raining (nothing to do except clean the house or read a good book)
Saturday pm: fine & warm (time to hit the beach, dine alfresco or roam the streets with a loved one, whilst eating icecream)
Sunday am: fine but a little cool/ cloudy (laundry & wash the car)
Sunday pm: Fine & warm (a little more of what was done on Saturday arvo plus squeeze in a Sunday sesh)

If the above bill is passed.. maybe I won't be so suicidal on a Monday.

Excube me?

2007-08-01T22:16:00.000+08:00

I hate calling my AUSTRALIAN Bank & ending up with some guy in a Call Center in Mumbai who speaks too quickly & has a thick indistinguishable accent.
If only life could have subtitles. Then I might understand why the fuck my loan which could've been processed on Monday still remains untouched on Thursday.

They have absolutely no interest in who you are or your problems because they are a few countries & an entire ocean away from you. What they care about is getting to their next call & reaching their 1 million phone calls per day quota plus one more to top Rishi who shares his cubicle, sitting inches away..

<-- cubicles in a stupid offshore call center

I also work in a Bank & we kinda cube.. of course nothing like THAT. Our workspaces are tolerable & although we often experience the phenomenon known as Meerkatting - an unpleasant environment it is not.

MEERKATTING (for you who don't know) is when 'there is a stir in the office, word spreads across the cubicles and the occupants get to their feet in a Mexican wave to peer over their partitions - alert, ears cocked.' Fiona Smith

Its funny as to how different we behave in a cubic situation. Out in the big ol' world, when someone sneezes you say 'bless you'. How rarely do you hear that in an office? Do you pretend you didn't hear the sneeze or do you say something & hope the person doesn't think you overhear EVERYTHING they say or every noise they make.

You could always send an email. 'Hi. BY. (Bless You)'

I read a funny article & have included an excerpt some of you might be able to relate to..

'.. people rush to work and complete their grooming at their desk. Some people clip their toenails, on goes the lipstick, the hair is being brushed, the deodorant is being applied. And then breakfast starts. Snap, crackle and pop can be a mite distracting in the morning, along with the usual coffee and tea making rituals.

But breakfast is a minor distraction by the time lunch comes along. There are a few reliable ways to start intercubicle warfare, and smelly food (particularly fish) is one of the worst breaches of etiquette.

It is bad enough if the smell of someone else's food puts you off yours, but the aroma of microwaved popcorn when you are dieting can be a killer.

Some people cringe when weddings and pregnancies are announced, knowing they are in for months of elbowing past knots of people inspecting ultrasound images or discussing whether to dress in white or cream. The office busybodies come over to coo and ahh at the perfect photos of the best ever wedding that ever was. Then the renovations start, and of course babies.'
FIONA SMITH ref JIM THOMPSON - The Survivals Guide: Keeping Your Cool in the Least Hospitable Environment on Earth

In my office we lay bets on one colleague saying in a phone call;
'My name's changed because I got married. I like to say we're happily married, I'm happy & he's married'
I mean.. EVERY phone call?! Is she from another planet? Some strange HAPPY planet? Must say now though (in case she's reading this) that she's a good sort.

And I lurved when I read about CUBICLE CRIMES
(of which I confess, I am an offender of maybe 1 or even 2)

FOOD: Eat fish or boiled eggs at your desk
VOLUME: It is a telephone, not a megaphone
DISCLOSURE: Your life is an open book
LURKING: Mr & Mrs Havachat
GROOMING: The at-your-desk makeover
(caught my neighbor clipping his nails once - omg!)
DISPLAY: Your fabulous (other) life in photos
HYGIENE: Your desk is a tip
MOBILE: Annoying ring tones
VOLATILITY: Temper, temper
REPETITION: Overuse of words (awesome! absolutely!)

Going Potty?

2007-07-23T18:14:00.000+08:00

First stop.. BORDERS.

It was an early 7am start on Saturday, as we queued with at least a hundred others to receive the final installment of my beloved Harry Potter book series.

Pillows & blankets on the pavement, told of crazy folk who must've slept the night in their cloaks & wizard hats, obviously worried that if they didn't, their pre-ordered copy might magically vanish (hmmm..)

The week before was spent re-reading Harry Potter & the Half-blood Prince in anticipation of the 21st July release. Friday night was a last-minute cram, reminiscent of high school exam days. I did almost 200 pages in an hour. My eyes were smokin' from the sheer velocity.

The grin couldn't have been slapped off my face once I finally held my long-awaited Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in one hand & hot coffee in the other. Happiness would be an understatement.. it was a definite PERFECT moment in my life.

You may laugh at my (over)excitement, but that would indicate a lack of understanding regarding the level of my fan loyalty & admiration for JK Rowling's books.

I am in my 3rd day of ownership & up to page 400.
If ANYONE mentions ANYTHING about the ending.. I will not be responsible for the consequences bestowed upon you.

Until I surface..

Ciao.

Walk like an Egyptian

2007-07-23T11:18:00.000+08:00

On Sunday..

We went to the WA Art Gallery to visit the Egyptian Antiquities from the Louvre: Journey to the Afterlife exhibition.

I have been waiting impatiently for WEEKS for this exhibition to hurry up & open. Justin took me on the day after opening, much to my child-like delight & probably to avoid my impending child-like tantrum.

It was spectacular & a bit spooky to view the ancient artifacts. Sarcophagi, funerary boxes etc.. Rooms filled with magnificently ornate trinkets removed from a person's tomb, which they had believed was their passage to the revered afterlife they so longed to be part of.

If you looked real hard at a statue, you might swear that the eyes could open/ move to look upon you as you violate their sacred possessions with your own unknowing eyes. So many times I found myself uncomfortable & consequently swift in averting my gaze.

THE BOOK OF THE DEAD was there for us to read & understand (if you were an expert on hieroglyphics, that is) & we had a giggle as we heard one kid say to another;

'If you read this you will wake the dead'.

It was an awesome couple of hours & we were unkindly chirpy when we came out to see the lo-ong line we had avoided by arriving before lunch (despite our grumbling tummies).

Hotdog

2007-07-20T08:31:00.000+08:00

A Buddhist walked up to a Hotdog Vendor and said..

'Make me ONE with everything'.

Gumboots

2007-07-18T18:46:00.000+08:00

When its raining outside, I imagine wearing GUMBOOTS

& splashin' about in big puddles

..as if nobody's watching.

<--- like this

Pinch me

2007-07-17T23:03:00.000+08:00

n Sunday afternoon, we went to see Harry Potter - Order of the Phoenix at Astor Cinemas in Mt Lawley. With all the box-office hit hype surrounding the film, we watched it in the least appropriate yet most wonderful setting.

We strolled in 45 minutes early to find a contortionist, known as 'the thing in the box' bending herself into amazing, bizarre & almost disgusting poses. The theater felt so old-world that we were both stunned into silence. We found two vacant (& springy) seats and watched as she performed beneath a spotlight to a crackling, haunting French melody. Behind her were these heavy, dark red velvet curtains which later pulled to either side to reveal the movie screen. It was surreal. The time flew by as we watched & laughed at different performers doing salsa, acrobatics, juggling & swallowing fire. There was a lingering smell surrounding us of memories, locked in a room forever.

At the end of the film, we walked out to a startling view of the 21st Century glaring in at us through the windows. I really enjoyed being lost in there, back in time.
_________________________ . _ . _ .

Today, I walked along the road behind my work. I've started humming, although I don't realize I'm doing it until someone looks at me strangely.

A boy approached me. He was about 8 years old. His presence left an impression on me which lasted for the rest of the day. He said;
'Hi. My name is Isaac. This is hot chocolate, yum. What is your name?' I replied;
'Uh.. Esa.' He said;
'That's a nice name. What do you like doing Esa? Such as sports or crafts?'
I didn't know what was happening, so I just mumbled something under my breath & dashed into a shop. I watched Isaac walk around the corner & out of sight.

Sometimes we have these strange encounters or unusual experiences which catch us off guard, so different from what society portrays as normal. A slight shift of the Earth on its axis, a little something to remind us we won't always know/ be able to control what is going to happen next..

Geek is the new Cool

2007-07-17T20:54:00.000+08:00

I'm going to make a statement, right here, right now: I am a Geek.
There are a number of 'qualities' I possess which qualify me as a TYPE A, stereotypical geek but I will begin by telling you just two of them:

1. I love Harry Potter.

The reason I'm mentioning Harry here is because he will be mentioned a few times in my upcoming blogs. A new movie has been released and a new book about to be released! I am in Harry-heaven (bet you thought such a place didn't exist).

2. I wear glasses like Harry! Which brings me to..

My thought for the day..

There are people out there who push their specs up with their middle finger.
Anyone standing in front of you will feel like they're getting the bird. Lately, I've noticed myself doing it (unintentionally, of course).
Apologies in advance if I do it to you. I'd like to promise that I won't mean it.. but I'm not a frickin Psychic, am I?

Debut

2007-07-17T20:40:00.001+08:00

Oke.. So this is my Blog debut.

This is my contribution to thought-broadcasting via the wide world of web.

My thoughts, ideas & experiences are not particularly funny, philosophical or even unique but they ARE random. With the randomness of it all, I will surely hit your sp●t at one time or another, with one of my stories/ anecdotes. You will hopefully say 'yessss, I once wondered that myself' and have a giggle, or a cry, or possibly even stifle a yawn before the rather quick execution of cursor-hitting that in the top right corner to close my page.

Welcome to my World.