Personal update (a reminder of God's goodness)

Here is an update on what has been happening to me over the last few months. Let's just say that the last few months have been out of the ordinary, especially since what happened at the end of January 2009. I thought I'd do this update in a "question-answer" format, i.e. me interviewing myself! So do read on if u want to find out more:

What happened at the end of January 2009?

I got retrenched from my job at the end of January 2009. I was still under probation when it happened, & was told that the company could not offer me a permanent full-time position due to the global financial crisis. A number of people were also retrenched on the same day. (For more details, refer to my post earlier this year: http://daplanetdt.blogspot.com/2009/01/retrenchment-time-to-move-on.html)

Was it a surprise?

To be honest, I was not surprised at all. I could see the retrenchment coming, with work drying up & all that. It was sad & really disappointing that it happened, especially since I've only been at the company for 5 months. But at least I left the company on good terms. They were willing to be my referee, & even suggested that I leave them my contact details (which I said is already on the system), as they might be willing to take me back "in a few years". One of the recruitment agents I dealt with told me that my former manager at the company I was retrenched from spoke highly of me, so it was heartening to be able to get such a positive reference.

Didn't something similar happen many years ago?

Well, sort of, but not exactly. Back in June 2001 (many years ago), I was working with another company (at a junior level). It experienced financial difficulty, so my hours were reduced & they gave me a chance to look for another job while coming in on a part-time basis. I resigned (probably not the wisest decision) as I felt my pride was wounded & didn't want to lose face with people finding out & me coming in on part-time basis. So after a couple of weeks part-time, I left at the end of June 2001. It took me a couple of months to find a job.

That was all in 2001. It's different from what happened recently. Back then, I made the decision to jump before I outstayed my welcome. It may have felt like a retrenchment, but it wasn't. Whereas "now" (in January 2009), I was pushed, so I didn't have a say about losing my place.

What did you do over the next few months since January 2009?

I spent the next 4+ months out of work (from February to early June). That period was a very dark period for me. To be really honest, I consider that period to be the worst period I've ever experienced in my life. Seriously, the worst period of my life. Those few months was very hard & I was pretty dejected for much of that period.

For me, being out of work meant losing a part my "identity" because work had been a big part of my life. It meant losing something which defines me, losing a major reason for getting out of bed. And of course, being out of work meant no income. No work for over 4 months meant no income for 1/3 of a year. Imagine that! It was really hard. I was actually feeling ok during the first couple of weeks in February. Then, I slowly became frustrated & disillusioned, & at times I would be feeling down in the dumps. Actually, there were lots of "mood swings" - one moment I can feel really bad, the next moment I might actually feel relaxed & somewhat glad that I got lots of free time & that I didn't have to wake up before 9am if I didn't want to!

Fortunately, my family & friends were very supportive & encouraging. That kept me going. Besides hanging out with friends, helping some of them out with stuff (e.g. Ben & Faith with their new home) & having a bit more free time to do stuff for myself (not that I did very much!), the only good thing for me over those "empty months" was seeing my football club FC Barcelona playing well & picking up trophies in Spain & in Europe!

On top of everything I've already said, there were a couple of other disappointing aspects of being out of work.
Firstly, it meant that I had to start job searching all over again! (as I've said, I was only there for 5 months when I got retrenched). At times, the prospect of the job search feels more overwhelming that the sadness & disappointment of the retrenchment itself.
Secondly, being out of work meant that I couldn't buy a home. I actually started going out & inspecting some homes during the weeks before I got retrenched. The plan was to wait until I pass probation in February, & thereafter buy a home as soon as I find something suitable & affordable. So much for that plan - I got laid off so I never got the chance to pass probation. Just like that, the plan went down the drain. Instead of house hunting, I have to do job hunting now!
I tried whatever I can to remain positive during all this time. You got to do that, & this is the thing about being retrenched - it's not the fault of the person who got laid off, it's much more a reflection of the company not doing well enough to keep the person. So I keep telling myself - it's not my fault that I'm out of work, it's because the company wasn't doing well.

And how's the job hunting? Did you find work?

Job openings & interviews have been few & far between, thanks to the global financial crisis. The fact that I did get a few interviews at all was somewhat encouraging - people have said that in this climate, to get an interview at all is almost as good as getting a job. But still, the interviews ultimately did not lead to job offer. There was 1 job offer on the cards in May 2009, but unfortunately a change of mind on their part meant that I was back to square one.

But by God's grace, I managed to find a temporary/contract role in the Brisbane CBD early last month (in June 2009) while continuing to look for a permanent position to go on to. In fact, right now, I am still in the contract position, but next week will be my last week.

Any good news coming up on the horizon?

Fortunately, yes! I finally secured a full-time job earlier this month. I will start this new position in the second week of August. Praise God for that.

The start of the new financial year seems to have brought good fortunes for me. Just this month alone, I got a few interviews, almost as many interviews as I had during that 4 months between February & May. To put it another way, I got this full-time job within a few weeks after the new financial year started on July 1. Compare that to that barren 4 months when I got nothing, & had to wait until early June to get that temporary/contract position.
I got the job offer last week, actually, & got the offer letter a couple of days ago. I will be based just minutes outside the CBD. So technically, I actually got 2 jobs right now - the current contract position in the CBD which I will finish next week, & that new job just outside the CBD. Since that job offer, I've been invited to a couple of other interviews, but I turned them down. So yeah, it looks like the job market may have improved a little since the start of the new financial year.

Did you share the good news?

Of course I did! I did send an email to a few people to tell them of the good news. I know I would have missed emailing some people by accident, & sorry if you are seeing this update for the first time. While I don't have loads & loads of friends, I do have more people on my email & Facebook list than I can keep up with - so there would have been a few names I forgot to click when I sent that email out. Sorry again, but I just cannot keep up with everyone. (so hopefully, if they read this blog post, they will be informed about the developments).

Did you do anything to celebrate?

Well, I didn't celebrate by throwing a party, if that's what u mean. However, I did treat myself by buying the Transformers complete collection (17 discs) last week, from JB Hi-Fi in the Brisbane CBD. See a previous blog post.

While at JB Hi-Fi, I manage to bump into a former colleague who was in the same team as I was. He was also retrenched but was laid off much later than I was. He's now working at another company near the CBD. He also told me that in our area, there are now less than 10 people left. There used to be about 40 people, but there was a mass layoff. It's scary & really sad to hear about all this, but that's how extensive the impact that the global financial crisis is making.

What has God taught you during this time?

God taught me (or reminded me) that He really does love & care for His people. God has been really gracious, & He really cared for me all along, even though this was something I couldn't see at times. He really does answer prayers (even mine! haha), & He answers them according to His perfect timing. I hope I have become a better person from the experience God taught me, & I hope I will remember the lessons learnt & always remember that God's goodness is always there even when times are tough.

As I've already mentioned, that period that I was unemployed was really hard for me (though it was also good to have a break). During that period, if I'm to be really honest, I was shown up for not having enough trust & faith in God. I see Job as an example to follow. Those who know the book Job in the Bible would recognise that Job lost a lot more than I did. Job lost practically everything (including the lives of his beloved ones). On the other hand, I only lost work temporarily (4 months is not unusual, given the global financial crisis). Yet Job was way way way more faithful to God than I was. I shall continue to read the book of Job - I've started reading, but am nowhere near finished (coz I've been really really slow & slack in my reading).

But yeah, the challenge & lesson for me was to be patient & really trust & have faith in God even when times are hard. It may be easier to be thankful & faithful when things are going well, but what about when things are not going well?? That was a big lesson.

I thank God for His love, grace & timely provision. I am also really thankful to my family & friends for their prayers, encouragement & support. It is much much appreciated & I thank God that I have such a loving & supportive Christian family & friends.

What then for the future?

Well, from now on, whatever happens, happens. Hopefully, if/when the next major setback happens in my life, I will show more trust & faith in God that I've shown with my retrenchment ordeal. I know I can count on the support of my Christian family & friends. And that's the thing about being a Christian. God that loves & cares for His people. You can always count on His support & provisions. You can also count on the support & encouragement of fellow Christians, when things are not going well; u don't suffer alone. It's just so great when God's goodness is reflected in His people - I've experienced a lot of such goodness & thank God for that! I hope I can return the goodness to my Christian family & friends one day.

Bad move Barca - what a waste of money!

FC Barcelona have signed Swedish forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic from Italian side Internazionale Milan. As part of the transfer deal, Barcelona sold Cameroonian forward Samuel Eto'o to Inter Milan, plus they gave Inter Milan quite a substantial sum of money.

Over the last few weeks, I have been hearing the transfer speculation surrounding Zlatan's move to Barcelona. I had been hoping the speculation would go away. But the speculation is now a reality - Zlatan is heading to Barcelona. I am not too happy about this. I would go as far as to say that Barca are wasting their money. Not a great move - why sell Africa's best forward & replace him with a player who disappears in big games??? Having said that, I hope Zlatan would prove me wrong & help Barcelona to more success. Only time will tell if Barcelona's decision is a good one.

Porsche chief paid $87 million to leave his job

Heard about the boss who gets paid multi-millions of dollars to get out of his job??? Like more than $80 million??? Well, see article below - it IS true, it DID happen. And I thought we are supposed to be in a worldwide recession, with the global financial crisis & all that.

I was just blown away - $87 million exit payout. Just like that. That is just obscene. And all that, at a time when people are losing their jobs & struggling to get back into the workforce. And here we have this guy given the equivalent of lottery money (in fact, even more than that) to get out of his company. What's he going to do now?? The guy is financially set for life - he doesn't have to work anymore.

Imagine what I would do if I am given just 1/10 of that. That will still be a lot of money - for me, anyway. Hhhhhmmmm, with just under $9 million, I'd give a portion to my family & friends (I'm sure lots of people would suddenly clamour to be my friend), a portion to my church, & a portion to other Christian organisations (charities, missions, etc). Then I would buy myself a nice waterfront property, expand my investment portfolio, & take a tour of the world. Whatever money is left, I shall squander. Hahaha!

Anyway, here is the article (which I saw on NineMSN):

Porsche chief paid $87 million to leave his job
24/07/2009 6:52:15 AM

The boss of Porsche will be paid $87 million to leave his job after the luxury sportscar maker was taken over by Volkswagen (VW).

Wendelin Wiedeking, who was Germany's highest paid executive, was pushed out after his bold plan to take over VW backfired leaving Porsche with more than $17 billion of debt.

The tables were then turned and Porsche itself became the subject of a takeover bid from VW.
The VW takeover cranks up a campaign from Europe's biggest carmaker to challenge Japanese rival Toyota.

VW also said on Thursday the Gulf emirate of Qatar would buy 17 per cent of VW shares amid a broadside of news that rocked the German car industry and served notice to international competitors, especially recovering US giant General Motors.

The developments emerged from an epic corporate boardroom battle that fuelled a caustic family feud and left Volkswagen standing tall.

But its ultimate shareholder structure and management team were still in suspense.

Nevertheless the deal leaves VW a small step closer in terms of vehicle sales with world number one, Japanese giant Toyota.

VW wants to overtake Toyota by 2018 and could pass US behemoth General Motors this year to become number two worldwide as GM emerges from bankruptcy and slims down in an effort to survive.

Porsche chief executive Wiedeking, the principal victim in the struggle, said he would step down after losing a long battle against VW supervisory board president Ferdinand Piech for control of both companies.

"We have opened the way ... to the creation of an integrated group," VW chief executive Martin Winterkorn said following a meeting of his group's supervisory board in Stuttgart.

The concept approved by both companies includes the integration of Porsche's car activities into VW and a reinforcement of the overall Porsche holding group's finances to guarantee its independence within the European auto giant.

Winterkorn's comments came after the owners of Porsche said they would also wrap up talks with Qatar and raise at least 5 billion euros ($A8.7 billion) in fresh funds via a capital increase.

Further details of the new arrangement would be released on August 13 following another meeting of the VW supervisory board, the group said.

Porsche's owners, the Porsche and Piech families who are descendants of the company founder Ferdinand Porsche, said early on Thursday following all-night talks that Wiedeking would resign and that "the basis for the creation of an integrated group between Porsche SE and Volkswagen AG" had been laid.

Wiedeking - said to be the best-paid boss in Germany - was to get 50 million euros ($A87.08 million) in severance pay, of which half would go to a "social foundation" to aid Porsche workers and others.

Wiedeking and Porsche finance director Holger Haerter, who also resigned, had devised a bold financial strategy to take over VW based on complex stock options in the much bigger group.

Porsche SE, the holding company, currently owns 51 per cent of the shares in VW.

The plan collapsed however, leaving Porsche with 10 billion euros ($A17.42 billion) in debt, and putting Piech in a position to turn the tables and take Porsche on as VW's 10th brand.

Porsche production chief Michael Macht, 48, is to succeed Wiedeking as head of Porsche's core carmaking division, the company said.

But the prospect of VW swallowing up Porsche might provoke bitter resistance.

At a rally of 5,000 Porsche workers in Stuttgart, major shareholder Wolfgang Porsche insisted the maker of 911 sports cars would remain independent.

"Trust me ... the Porsche myth is alive and will never founder," he told the boisterous crowd with a trembling voice.

"The families are in complete agreement on the fact that Porsche's success is founded on the brand's independence," he said, and Porsche would now "negotiate with VW on equal terms."

Porsche abandoned Wiedeking's ambitious plan to take full control of VW and its hefty reserves of liquidity in May, and was forced to find other sources of financing.

The German state of Lower Saxony, which owns 20 per cent of VW and holds a veto over its strategic decisions, stood between Porsche and VW's cash.

Lower Saxony regional premier Christian Wulff said on Thursday that Porsche would remain an autonomous group along the lines of VW's high-end unit Audi.

"We will work together to become the world number one" automobile maker, Wulff added.


Link: http://money.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=841157&print=true&_defaultfontSize=11&_js_siteid=255

Gift cards! Time to use them!

I have a few gift cards for various places like Myer, David Jones, Coles, JB Hi-Fi & Australian Unity. I was given them from various occasions - farewell, birthday, Christmas, & even free gift. In total, the gift cards are worth over $200. Goodness, I should really get around to using them!!

I just realised that I should have brought the JB Hi-Fi gift card with me when I bought the Transformers complete collection. I should have remembered & planned things better. Never mind, I can use that to get something else the next time I visit JB Hi-Fi.

Transformers complete collection!

I just bought the Transformers G1 complete collection of DVDs from JB Hi-Fi this evening. It's a 17 disc collection. I'm very happy with the purchase. I've been on the lookout for something like this to come out. So when I saw the sale in the JB Hi-Fi catalogue, I decided on the spot that I would get the DVD set. And I did.

At last, now I can watch any Transformers episodes anytime I wish. Brings back memories of my childhood in the 1990s. "Transformers.....more than meets the eye....."

Unfortunately, there were no DVDs for other cartoons like Thundercats & Silverhawks. Perhaps I might have to hop on Ebay to search these, but they would not be cheap......

While at JB Hi-Fi, I managed to bump into a former work colleague. He also got retrenched (but a few months later than I did), & is now working in a firm in Southbank. When he filled me in on the details of the retrenchments that happened after I left the firm, I was really shocked. There was a mass culling of staff. It is sad to experience & hear the impact that the global financial crisis has done on the lives of many. Things can only get better. Hopefully sooner rather than later, too.

Malaysia lose respectfully again

Game 2 of Malaysia XI v Manchester United, 20/7/2009, again in Bukit Jalik stadium. Again, Malaysia XI put up a decent showing. Again, they lose. This time, the score is 2-0 to United.

Both goals came early in the first-half. Federico Macheda, the teenage Italian striker, opened the scoring in the 11th minute. Just a couple of minutes later, Michael Owen scored the second goal. Reports say United improved slightly from their display in the first game. As for the Malaysian team, unfortunately they could not score a goal this time. But once again, they have not been disgraced. Yes, it is true that United are in pre-season mode & would not have been at their best against the Malaysian team. But if Malaysia can continue to play like this on a regular basis, then they will be heading on the right track & will have a much brighter future.

Malaysia XI 2 Manchester United 3

English giants Manchester United just played a friendly match with a Malaysia XI yesterday (18/7/2009), as part of their pre-season Tour of Asia. And no, the Malaysian team didn't get thrashed or embarrassed. They lost only 3-2.

The match was played at Bukit Jalil, & it is game 1 of 2 matches.

United went 2-0 up inside the first 30 minutes through goals by England's Wayne Rooney & Portugal's Nani. Fans might have expected a goal glut by United after that. But no, it didn't happen. Just before half-time, Malaysian midfielder Amri Yahyah spectacularly lobbed the United keeper from well outside the United penalty box. Early in the second-half, Malaysia XI amazingly made it 2-2 when Amri Yahyah grabbed his second, intercepting a backpass to the United goalkeeper. New signing Michael Owen (who played for United's archrivals Liverpool years ago) scored United's winner 5 minutes from time.

The Malaysia XI is virtually the Malaysian national team. They are coached by K Rajagopal, who took over as Malaysia's head coach only 3-4 few months ago. They would have seen the matches against Manchester Utd as part of their squad rebuilding, & a rare chance to get valuable experience against top-class opposition. Losing so narrowly against the former European champions is definitely no disgrace. In fact, they should be encouraged.

I saw the match highlights on Youtube (see below). The stadium seemed jam-packed, & there were many Malaysians wearing Manchester Utd jerseys. Not surprising there, as United are immensely popular in the Far East. They cheered when their beloved club scored their goals. But when the Malaysian XI scored theirs, those same fans wearing the United kit also cheered (!), because it's their national team. Funny! They must have been encouraged that their national team can do something against their favourite club. Of course, there were also many Malaysian fans in the stadium who wear the Malaysian team jerseys.

So United win, as expected. Not so expected is the fact that they won by such a narrow margin, even if they are in pre-season mode. As for the Malaysian team, they deserve credit for their spirited showing. And wow, they managed to score 2 goals against Manchester United, one of Europe's top clubs. How many goals did Brisbane Roar score against Celtic last week???

Malaysia XI will play Manchester Utd again in game 2, on 20/7/2009.

Estudiantes are 2009 South American champions

Argentinian club Estudiantes de La Plata have won the 2009 Copa Libertadores, making them club champions of South America. They beat Brazilian side Cruzeiro 2-1 away in the second leg of the final, winning 2-1 on aggregate after the first leg in La Plata was goalless.

In the second leg, home side Cruzeiro took the lead when Henrique's shot deflected of an Estudiantes defender & went into the goal. Estudiantes equalised just 5 minutes when forward Gaston Fernandez tapped in from close range after a cross from right-back Cristian Cellay went pass Cruzeiro's keeper. Fellow forward Mauro Boselli headed in the winner of a corner by veteran midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron. Boselli is the top scorer in this season's Copa Libertadores with 8 goals.

Winning the tournament meant a lot for Juan Sebastian Veron, who previously played for clubs in Italy (Sampdoria, Parma & Lazio) & England (Manchester United & Chelsea). His father, Juan Ramon Veron, also won the trophy with Estudiantes 3 years in a row between 1968 & 1970.

Congratulations go to Estudiantes, who have done Argentinian football proud with their triumph. By winning the 2009 Copa Libertadores, Estudiantes gets to represent South America in the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi at the end of this year.

The visit of Glasgow Celtic

Glamour Scottish football club Glasgow Celtic was in Brisbane this past Sunday. They played Brisbane Roar as part of their pre-season preparations, & a few of us went to the match. It ended with an easy 3-0 win for the Scottish giants.

After church finished late morning, me & my brother BT joined a few others (including Ivan C, Nigel & Terence) for lunch at South Bank before heading to the stadium. I ordered fish & chips, which proved to be very ordinary - one of the worst I've ever tasted. Anyway, we then took a train to Roma Street station. The place was packed, & we saw plenty of Celtic colours around (green & white hoops). We then walked along Caxton Street in Paddington, & the pubs there were filled with more & more football fans in green & white. We could hear lots of British & Irish accents around us. No surprises there, for Glasgow Celtic has plenty of support among the Scottish & the Irish.

From Caxton Street, we soon arrived at Suncorp Stadium & found our seats for the pre-season friendly match. We had to divide ourselves into 2 separate groups, seating in 2 separate locations. The winner of the pre-season friendly takes this year's TransLink Cup as part of the Queensland Roars Against Racism Campaign. There was some pre-kick off entertainment with bagpipes & didgeridoo, which gave the event a multi-cultural flavour. Queensland Premier Anna Bligh's appearance just before the kick-off drew loud boos from the crowd. I joined in the booing!! (& to think that I actually voted for her in the state election earlier this year!)

The stadium was more than half full, & the vast majority of the fans were Celtic supporters! Imagine Roar being hugely outnumbered for support in their own stadium! A lot of Celtic supporters flew from overseas, from the UK, Ireland, & other places like NZ, the US & Canada. More British & Irish accents could be heard.

Once the match started, Brisbane Roar took control for the first 10 minutes or so. Thereafter, Glasgow Celtic got themselves into the match & scored 2 goals just minutes before half-time through their New Zealand striker Chris Killen. The second goal, in particular, was a result of good team work between 3-4 players. It highlighted the gulf between the clubs. Glasgow Celtic were really cruising, & scored the third goal through their Japanese midfielder Koki Mizuno, who had just came on as a substitute. It was all to easy for Celtic, & it summed up Roar's ineptitude.

Aside from the result, & aside from having some beer spilled on my pants & feet during the Mexican wave, it was certainly a good day out.

Hard lesson - don't ever sit in cinema first row

I saw "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" yesterday night at the AMC Cinemas in Sunnybank Plaza, with my friends Nigel & Phuong. Both of them arrived late, so they quickly rushed through their dinner & I watched them eat while sipping the plum green tea that I bought from EasyWay. We entered the cinema just before the movie started - only just!

Our "last minute" entry meant that we couldn't get the seats we wanted, so we had to settle for the seats in the first row. Yep, seriously, the very first row. Not a great move, but we had no choice. It meant that our heads had to fully look upwards at the screen for like 1.5-2 hours. And we had to keep our heads like that while taking all the fast, furious & brutal action for much of the movie. I had to remove my glasses during the movie, because it wasn't doing me any good from the first row.

My goodness, sitting in the first row was absolute torture! At the end of the movie, I was hurting. My neck was hurting. My eyes were hurting. And my brain was hurting, too. It was so difficult to do anything at work today. I had to keep neck movements to a minimum - whenever I would normally turn my head, I would instead turn my whole self around. And the pain will continue for the next few days! Nigel & Phuong, this is all your fault.....both of u!!

As for the movie itself, it was ok. I won't say it's any better than the first Transformers movie. But it's ok. Megan Fox - whoooaaa, she was fabulous. The robots were virtually unrecognisable from the cartoon version. I mean, Devastator didn't look anything like the green monster he is in the cartoon version. Starscream & Soundwave looked different. And Ironhide with a British accent??? Hhhhmmmmm.....

But yeah, a brutal lesson learnt. Do not ever take the first row in cinema, so close to the screen, especially when watching an action-packed movie. I learned the lesson the hard way.

Roger Federer sets new Grand Slam record

Roger Federer won a record 15th Grand Slam for men's singles, by winning the 2009 Wimbledon Championships. He beat Andy Roddick in a very competitive & hard-fought final. The match went to 5 sets, with the final set being won 16-14. Remarkable!

Federer had equalled Pete Sampras' 14 Grand Slams last month, when he won the 2009 French Open - his first French Open title. Now, with the Wimbledon win (his 6th Wimbledon title), Federer is out in front on his own with 15 Grand Slams. He still has a few more years left in him, so one wonders how many Grand Slams he will end up with - no one will be surprised he ends up with more than 20.

Roger Federer is a great champion. Enormously talented, but also very professional, humble & very sporting. A great ambassador for tennis. I think he has now regained the world number 1 ranking for men's singles, from Rafael Nadal. I like both players, so it's all good.

Congratulations to the Federer Express!

I bought Football Manager 2009

I bought Football Manager 2009 this past Sunday afternoon. EB Games in Sunnybank Plaza had a sale (maybe it was an end-of-financial year sale?). There was a huge markdown on a few games including FM 2009. I was there with my friend Ivan C after we had lunch. I wasn't looking for anything in particular, stumbled on FM 2009 on the shelves, saw the markdown sticker & grabbed the game without hesitation. Thanks to the huge markdown, I paid just under $45.

I am still enjoying myself with Football Manager 2005, so I don't know when I will start playing FM 2009. Ivan urged me to ditch FM 2005, now that I have FM 2009. But hey, no rush for me, since I own FM 2009.

FM 2009 has 3D match view. When I play, I will find out how good it is. I joked on Facebook that FM 2009 could mean that my quiet time & social life goes right out the window. A friend (who is a committed Christian) responded, saying I shouldn't let my quiet time slip, & suggesting that I could operate along the lines "no quiet time, no FM 2009" without wanting to be legalistic. True, & a good idea. But how about this for another idea: "quiet time always". So whether or not I play FM 2009 is irrelevant, as long as I do my quiet time constantly.

But knowing me, everything can wait. No rush, no rush....

New financial year, hopefully a new beginning

Today marks the first day of the new financial year. Hopefully in the new financial year, things will be better than it has been for the last few months before July.

On the job front, I am a few weeks into a contract/temporary position in Brisbane CBD. Thank God for that, too. At least I have been getting some income to pay off some bills: car registration, car insurance, CA membership/subscription fee.

Hopefully, my luck will change in the new financial year & I will get a full-time position somewhere. These are challenging times, with the financial crisis happening worldwide & people suffering as a result. But all that is out of my control, so I have to hang in & be resilient, & hopefully an opportunity will come up somewhere soon.