Looking for a job sucks.
Maybe I'm just one of those people who are depressingly pessimistic. Not that being depressing or pessimistic are linked inextricably, but usually when you're being depressing, you're looking at the world through dun coloured glasses of pessimism.
But I digress.
I'm currently looking for a second job to fill in the time until uni starts back up again. So, I said this at the start of my break which was two weeks ago and after a few rejected applications, I'm still at home rewatching Six Feet Under DVDs and eating leftovers from the fridge (or instant noodles, if I want to ramp up the excitement factor).
I'm lucky to have my current job, which is a casual once a week position. Thank you, God of Employment.
I think sub-consciously, maybe I don't actually want to be employed more than I have to. I find myself looking at ads and thinking 'hm, am I really a people-oriented person?' or 'Do I have a bubbly and outgoing personality?'
No. No, I don't. And I don't have a current driver's license or my own vehicle.
I'm considering calling up the local paper and asking for a deliverer job. I know it pays a pittance, but it's money without human contact.
Yes, I would describe myself as a misanthrope at the worst of times, especially today.
Anyway, an update on the money situation... I'm still hovering above $5000!
Monday, 4 July 2011
Saturday, 18 June 2011
Cracking $5000... for the sixth time...
$5,149.29.
I have finally, finally, finally gotten past the $5000 bump.
So, tickets to a party cruise and eating out aren't exactly good reasons to withdraw money from a savings account.
But I have learnt. Through working, earning and feeling a little part of me shrivel and die each time I log on to my net banking account and seeing how little money I have.
I will punch myself repeatedly or drink 2 litres of mineral water in one sitting (because mineral water is gross- who came up with the idea of destroying water by adding bubbles to it? At least put in some sugar and artificial colours and flavours while you're at it) if I withdraw any money from my savings account that will change my balance from $5,149.29 to another figure that is less then that.
Hallelujah.
In other, China 2012-related news, I bumped into someone who was in one of the grades above me back in high school. They also did the same exchange program that I am currently doing and went to China for a year. It was really good talking to him about China- it made it more real, like it actually is going to happen, that I'm actually going to be overseas in another country where I can't speak the language fluently for an entire year.
He gave me tips, like signing up for a Bank of China account over there and getting money transferred to it from my Australian bank account by someone at home, getting my own mobile and a cheap plan when I'm in Shanghai.
And most of all, he said that $5000 (+ Centrelinke payments) should be enough if I live frugally. I'm going to ignore the 'frugally' aspect for now because I'm pretty sure I can earn at least a few more hundred dollars by the time that I leave. But we'll see.
Oh, and one last thing, I'm going to Shanghai, baby. Sorry about the 'baby' part. I thought it was apt, but now it kind of sounds a bit cheap and uncool.
I have finally, finally, finally gotten past the $5000 bump.
So, tickets to a party cruise and eating out aren't exactly good reasons to withdraw money from a savings account.
But I have learnt. Through working, earning and feeling a little part of me shrivel and die each time I log on to my net banking account and seeing how little money I have.
I will punch myself repeatedly or drink 2 litres of mineral water in one sitting (because mineral water is gross- who came up with the idea of destroying water by adding bubbles to it? At least put in some sugar and artificial colours and flavours while you're at it) if I withdraw any money from my savings account that will change my balance from $5,149.29 to another figure that is less then that.
Hallelujah.
In other, China 2012-related news, I bumped into someone who was in one of the grades above me back in high school. They also did the same exchange program that I am currently doing and went to China for a year. It was really good talking to him about China- it made it more real, like it actually is going to happen, that I'm actually going to be overseas in another country where I can't speak the language fluently for an entire year.
He gave me tips, like signing up for a Bank of China account over there and getting money transferred to it from my Australian bank account by someone at home, getting my own mobile and a cheap plan when I'm in Shanghai.
And most of all, he said that $5000 (+ Centrelinke payments) should be enough if I live frugally. I'm going to ignore the 'frugally' aspect for now because I'm pretty sure I can earn at least a few more hundred dollars by the time that I leave. But we'll see.
Oh, and one last thing, I'm going to Shanghai, baby. Sorry about the 'baby' part. I thought it was apt, but now it kind of sounds a bit cheap and uncool.
Wednesday, 8 June 2011
Heaven on Earth
As the great writer Foveaux once said, to write is to open an infinity of eyes to the world again.
But I'm sure there have been multitudes of inspirational quotes about writing that you can Google up.
Anyway, onto more important things... McDonald's Chicken McWings, or as I refer to them in my mind: 'iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii fat and chicken deep fried juicy juicy omg'.
I first tried McWings last week on a (relatively, by Sydney's winter weather standards at least) sultry day in the city. I was at the McDonalds near... at... somewhere in the vicinity... adjacent... to Pitt Street, and wasn't quite sure what to expect when I purchased two packs of McWings. (Note: it's $2.95 for two morsels of awesomene- I mean, McWings.)
I was expecting something similar to KFC. I was expecting something worse than KFC. I was expecting a slippery, limp exterior with no crunch and then greasy chicken underneath.
I was not prepared, at all, for what happened when I had my first mouthful. There was a crunch, then hot oil or juice (I don't know what it was, but McWings are so good, I am not going to question what the liquid was) that spurted into my mouth before, finally, the soft chicken. It was the definition of amazing on so many levels. They are spicy, but not unbearably so. And I suck at eating spicy food, so it's probably not spicy at all to the normal person's tastebuds.
If you aren't vegan, or vegetarian, please, please, please, go and buy some. It will be the best $2.95 you will ever spend on fast food.
I had them again yesterday night at Circular Quay (and I'd also like to say the staff there was really good despite how many customer's they were being hammered with that night, as well as a lady who came back to the counter to complain about how her burger was cold, and who promptly got a new hamburger), and they did not disappoint.
Counter staff: What would you like tonight?
Me: How much would six McWings cost? (I ended up purchasing four McWings and a Double Beef 'n' Cheese out of shame.)
The only downside is that the McWings don't stand up so well when they've cooled down. And I'm ashamed to admit that I actually had to throw one out because I couldn't finish the the four that I had excitedly purchased. But that's my fault for not eating the four McWings in succession- I had two piping hot McWings, then decided that I should consume my burger before finishing off with another round of McWings. Which is a failure of an eating strategy, equivalent to only having one plate at an all-you-can-eat restaurant. I'm sorry, McWing.
Friday, 3 June 2011
The truth about China 2012
Basically, the ugly truth is that I don't have the funds, the money, the moolah, the greenback, the silver dollars, to exist in China for a full year. I'm going to be living and studying in Shanghai- as for which institution... I'm not quite sure. Maybe I should actually look into that. That would be a good, sound, logical idea.
Anyway, I racked my brain yesterday night to see if there was anyway possible way to rort me if I put the amount of money that was currently in my savings account online. I figure that if I just put the amount and not my bank account number, actual name, financial institution my account is held at... so on and so forth, I should be safe. Now, I'm just going to put my client number and password for online banking below.
NOT.
Here's my projected expenses for 2012:
Accomodation: 60 RMB per day with an 800RMB deposit which will be refunded on checking out. There's also electricity, which I'm not too sure about... I'm also just using figures from an institution, but I'm not sure if it's from the one that I'm actually going to be at. But yes, it figures out to 22700 RMB (which, according to the Universal Currency Convertor (http://www.xe.com/) converts to AU$3292.52 at this point in time)
Food: I've been Googling, and because I'm tired I haven't been bothered to properly research (you know, where you look at various sites, compare the information each gives you before synthesising it into an averaged figure like any smart traveller would do), I've relied on the Lonely Planet website (http://www.lonelyplanet.com/china/practical-information/money-costs). I'm not sure when this was created and updated, but I trust Lonely Planet, not only because it's funky and targeted at the youthful and/or indie demographic, but because it seems to have its information set out in a no nonsense fashion.
So, according to Lonely Planet, "[f]ood costs remain reasonable throughout China. In the cheaper western provinces you can eat for under Y25 per day; in the more expensive regions, figure on at least Y40 to Y70 per day. " I'm going to live on the high end, so I'm using 70RMB (has it changed from Y to RMB?) to calculate my ultimate cost, which seems to come to 25550 RMB (=AU$3704.85) ?!
OK... so apparently food is going to cost more than accomodation.
Utilities: I'm not sure how electricity will be worked out with the university, but I'm just going to put a big fat question mark next to this one. ? <-- There.
Travel insurance and airfares are going to be paid for, thank god. Um... I guess next is spending money?
Whimsical spending: Or money in case I get into a medical emergency or something not quite as fun as splurging on cute items, or items of fake brandwear. I'm just putting it at AU$5000. Why? Just because it sounds like something that will protect me like a warm puffy jacket when things go down the drain.
Total projected expenses (in AUD): $11987.3. Just for the hell of it, I'm going to bump it up to $12000.
And now comes the awful, inconvenient truth (that isn't related to global warming or Al Gore's revived career as a 'climate change is for real' advocate). The amount I have currently in my savings account is $4,977.14.
Just $7022.86 to go.
Yep. I'm going to go have a cry now, haunted by ghosts of payslips past. Why didn't I save? My answer is another question: why do people make nice things to sell in shops?
Anyway, I racked my brain yesterday night to see if there was anyway possible way to rort me if I put the amount of money that was currently in my savings account online. I figure that if I just put the amount and not my bank account number, actual name, financial institution my account is held at... so on and so forth, I should be safe. Now, I'm just going to put my client number and password for online banking below.
NOT.
Here's my projected expenses for 2012:
Accomodation: 60 RMB per day with an 800RMB deposit which will be refunded on checking out. There's also electricity, which I'm not too sure about... I'm also just using figures from an institution, but I'm not sure if it's from the one that I'm actually going to be at. But yes, it figures out to 22700 RMB (which, according to the Universal Currency Convertor (http://www.xe.com/) converts to AU$3292.52 at this point in time)
Food: I've been Googling, and because I'm tired I haven't been bothered to properly research (you know, where you look at various sites, compare the information each gives you before synthesising it into an averaged figure like any smart traveller would do), I've relied on the Lonely Planet website (http://www.lonelyplanet.com/china/practical-information/money-costs). I'm not sure when this was created and updated, but I trust Lonely Planet, not only because it's funky and targeted at the youthful and/or indie demographic, but because it seems to have its information set out in a no nonsense fashion.
So, according to Lonely Planet, "[f]ood costs remain reasonable throughout China. In the cheaper western provinces you can eat for under Y25 per day; in the more expensive regions, figure on at least Y40 to Y70 per day. " I'm going to live on the high end, so I'm using 70RMB (has it changed from Y to RMB?) to calculate my ultimate cost, which seems to come to 25550 RMB (=AU$3704.85) ?!
OK... so apparently food is going to cost more than accomodation.
Utilities: I'm not sure how electricity will be worked out with the university, but I'm just going to put a big fat question mark next to this one. ? <-- There.
Travel insurance and airfares are going to be paid for, thank god. Um... I guess next is spending money?
Whimsical spending: Or money in case I get into a medical emergency or something not quite as fun as splurging on cute items, or items of fake brandwear. I'm just putting it at AU$5000. Why? Just because it sounds like something that will protect me like a warm puffy jacket when things go down the drain.
Total projected expenses (in AUD): $11987.3. Just for the hell of it, I'm going to bump it up to $12000.
And now comes the awful, inconvenient truth (that isn't related to global warming or Al Gore's revived career as a 'climate change is for real' advocate). The amount I have currently in my savings account is $4,977.14.
Just $7022.86 to go.
Yep. I'm going to go have a cry now, haunted by ghosts of payslips past. Why didn't I save? My answer is another question: why do people make nice things to sell in shops?
Wednesday, 1 June 2011
Why am I blogging?
What kind of question is that? It's like 'Why am I eating?' or 'Why am I going to the toilet so often after having that chicken stick from the hot food shop that was half-price in the afternoon before close?'- they're all redundant questions.
Joking.
So, why am I blogging? I guess to fill the endless void within me that is never quite satiated with sweet, greasy, trans-saturated fat filled food. That, and I realised that despite having (half-baked) aspirations to be a 'writer', I never actually write. So, this is me writing. And I'm going to be writing about things such as (cue bullet points):
Joking.
So, why am I blogging? I guess to fill the endless void within me that is never quite satiated with sweet, greasy, trans-saturated fat filled food. That, and I realised that despite having (half-baked) aspirations to be a 'writer', I never actually write. So, this is me writing. And I'm going to be writing about things such as (cue bullet points):
- my upcoming trip to China- I'm going to be in China in 2012, so I suppose when I eventually get to China I can write about stuff that happens to me while I'm there. While I'm not in China e.g. right now, I'll chronicle how exactly I'm going to come up with the money I am going to survive on, preparations for the trip... things like that.
- food... because it's awesome
- music... because it's awesome
- pretty much anything that has nothing to do with my personal life, because my personal life, while highly uneventful, is not really something I want floating around on the internet. Just like my net banking and e-mail passwords. I'm not going to be recounting what happened on the weekend (which was just that I watched TV and avoided doing, like, productive stuff), unless it's to do with food or something else awesome, and then I'll only be providing contextual information and pseudonyms.
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