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Month: February 2009

  • February 2, 2009

    I’m not feeling super good about myself. Just got confirmation of my 2009 allowance. I also got my fees invoice in to the scholarships office, and to the bank to renew my tertiary account.

    So why the downer? Well, the application process more or less required me to do some badmouthing and emphasise all the negatives of my family. I didn’t enjoy doing that. Especially once my mother told me she would pay for my laptop.

    I haven’t had very good luck with computers. My old one died on me numerous times. The second to last time they even donated me an old CRT screen – bulky as hell, weighed almost as much as me. When it died for good and I was looking for a new one they offered me their desktop system. Even shortly after I first moved out, I was offered my mum’s spare laptop.

    Why did I say no both those times? Well, I guess it’s a matter of pride. I am by nature a proud person. i’m twenty years old, though I feel much much older and as part of having been independent for so long I feel totally responsible for all my own affairs. A computer is a basic need for me, and I should pay for it myself. I don’t want to owe anyone, least of all my parents, in spite (or because of?) past events. I know my brother gets a lot more than I ever did, but that doesn’t make me want “my share” more at all. I don’t know, I just think I’m on my own, and that’s the way it should stay unless I really am in dire, dire straits. i wouldn’t feel good about it. Although I of course appreciate the offers. I just didn’t want to take anything that easy.

    But after this set back, and facing paying close to another grand out of pocket, I said ‘let’s go halves’. Kind of a compromise that I can accept. I just don’t want my savings to dwindle by that much; I’ve pretty much realized it’s near impossible to build up any sort of savings while still studying, probably even more so this year given trips and materials costs and who knows what else. My savings has pretty much remained at the same level for a couple of years now, once the ins and outs are leveled out. I have over a grand tied up as bond money with tenancy services, but that sure doesn’t feel like mine.

    Paying just half will be massive; between mystery shopping, overtime and my story assignments it should only cost me $200-300 out of my account. I don’t think this is too much to accept, and I’ll try to accept the gift graciously.

  • February 2, 2009

    Dress codes

    A Bank of England memo to staff on how they should present themselves:

    “Look professional, not fashionable; be careful with perfume; always wear a heel of some sort — maximum 2 inches; always wear some sort of makeup — even if it’s just lipstick.” Shoes and skirt must be the same color. No-no’s include ankle chains — “professional, but not the one you want to be associated with;” white high heels; overstuffed handbags; an overload of rings, and double-pierced ears.

    Jeepers. How’s that for a dress code? I may bitch about not being able to wear jandals to work (although occasionally I do, nice bronze ones though with beads on them) but apparently, I’m comparatively well off.

    Plus, if I’m not wrong, do we not only see the top half of most bank staff? Even less, if you’re short. We have to peer over the tall counters to see them, making it pretty much impossible to see below their waist. That’s why you see bank staff in uniforms strolling to and from work in their jandals. Nobody sees their feet…

  • February 2, 2009

    Phone woes

    phone1
    I really hate talking on the phone. Yet once I get into the swing of things, I think I do it quite well. Of course, it requires me warming up. When I know I have to make an important call, I start hyperventilating…I get a cold sweat, breathe faster, etc. my voice, no matter how much I try to project, goes all weak and mousey and my mind goes blank and I stumble over my words. In other words, I sound scared, weak and incompetent.

    I also hate making calls when other people are around me. Yes, I know they are busy and have better things to do than listen to my conversations. But I can’t help it, it’s just a psychological thing. I prefer if everyone around me is gone, or else on the phone themselves.

    I had to make a ton of phone calls this week for the stories I wrote, and It got easier as I went. I didn’t have to rehearse my speech, I knew what I wanted to say. I felt more confident, even though my voice didn’t fully return…i was super polite, and after one particular embarrassment soon learnt from my mistake. Although I much prefer email communications, I hate seeing a reply come in, and waiting through those two seconds that it takes for them to open up. Plus, a watched inbox never receives mail.

    I’ve got to work on my talking. I speak super fast, even when I deliberately try to slow it down, I think that barely brings to me to normal talking speed and when you’re on the phone I think it’s even more important to enunciate clearly. My name is especially hard to get out clearly, when I’m rattling off where I’m calling from straight after. I am pretty sure it just comes out as a sort of gentle murmur. It just feels so unnatural to me though – I’d be right at home in Gilmore Girls! I talk just like that, rat-a-tat-tat, sharp and quick and deadpan. I remember in broadcast classes last year reading out stories, and I thankfully wasn’t the fastest speaker there. One girl had to repeat herself approximately six times before our tutor was happy with her speed, but man I felt her pain the whole way. I understand how hard it is to understand others who talk fast, but somehow when I do it it doesn’t sound fast at all.

  • February 2, 2009

    I was at the ATM this morning, and was pleasantly surprised to retrieve my receipt and see 3.5k as my available balance.

    I didn’t really know how that could be – I run my budget down to zero (I like the zero based budget, there is a place for everything) and it’s the end of the weekend (by Monday everything is basically accounted for). And I certainly wasn’t expecting any sort of windfall – $400 at the most, maybe, and if that ever comes to me it would be in a cheque (I sent out my invoice again, but doubt I’ll ever see the money – chalk it down to experience and never work for that person again).

    Anyway, eventually another receipt emerged from the slot – available balance 106. Yeah, that was me, sadly.

    And we came in on budget – even without taking into account the $30 phone topup which I hadn’t anticipated, because our groceries only came to 97 instead of our usual 120 – loving Countdown at the moment and all their reductions.

    I’ve been really paranoid lately about going to ATMs, what with hearing about all these ‘plastic sleeve’ scams recently. I pause before sticking my card in and stare at the green sleeve to make sure everything looks kosher. Is it any wonder I don’t trust the deposit machine? I just am not going to insert cash into a hole in the wall, I’m going to hand it over to a real, live person.

    Thankfully I only have to use ATMs once a week at the most. We have technology for a reason, and for me at least cash is a thing of the past. It’s way too easy for me to lose track of (or lose completely), easy to steal, and bulky. I get rewards off my Visa. And when you pay by card there’s a record, a paper trail should you need to verify something.

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