Melbourne TripjawaproMon 02/07/2007 11:08 AM
Well - I'm back in Tassie after almost a week in Melbourne. I was away for a training course in ITIL. And the course had an exam - seems I cant get away from those things.
Anyway, the course itself was pretty good. Well taught and so on. I'm not 100% sure I passed, but I'm thinking and praying I did. Quite embarrassing otherwise.
Work paid for a hotel - which is the fanciest hotel I've ever been in. But I'm not exactly a hotel sort of person. I'm much more likely to be found camped up the bush than in a hotel.
Well, I made it to the hotel in Melbourne. And far out - you should have seen this place. It’s really flash. And the guys at the front counter are just so robotically polite and unhuman that you almost want to bash them with a cricket bat to see if the respond. I actually had some small problems - because Tim (my immediate boss) had booked us 2 rooms for 2 nights - but then my real boss Clinton (yes Klutz, powerful name that) decided to send me a day early - so I'd booked a third night, but on a separate booking. And convincing them that I was there for 3 nights instead of 1 took some doing (I didn’t want to have to change rooms).
Anyway - I was talking to this chap at the counter while he was trying to sort my booking out - and I eventually managed to make him crack slightly. I was bagging myself out (like I always do) and blaming myself for the trouble and eventually he relaxed and agreed with me for a while - and then seemed to realized what he'd done - and hastily apologized and returned to being a polite robot - the sort you want to hit with the cricket bats.
Maybe that's where Douglas Adams got his inspiration for the lifts in Hitch Hikers Guide. Pleased to be of service!
Anyway - this hotel is really swish. I'm on the 8th floor. Tim is up on the 11th. There's a little area outside the window where you can go and stand in the rain - but I only did that for a second before I almost fainted from the height - so I scrambled back inside and closed the curtain again. I'm not good with heights. Not that there's much a view - although you can see into all the office building windows next door - and if you were interested in watching cleaners work and things - it'd be interesting.
The room isn’t huge - but it aint small either. And its really posh. But stupidly there isn’t a number for room service anywhere - so I had to ring reception to find that - and have since forgotten. Work said to get room service - but it's pretty expensive. $20 a meal - which I guess isn’t that bad - but an extra $5 for bringing it up to you - and I don’t think you can go and get it to save money.
And drinks are shockingly expensive too.
So anyway - the course was pretty good. Doesn’t feel that strange - after so long at uni only last year. It is slightly odd though - because there is none of the superior teacher style mentality though - everyone is equal - and he's always getting us to tell stories of how our companies work about this and that.
I also finally appreciate the breaks between lectures at uni. Not so much the breaks themselves - but the walking to the next lecture hall and having a different topic. After the same thing all day it gets annoying.
I did the sample exam on the first night - and I failed by a point. I got 25 out of 40 - and I needed 26. Considering I hadn’t done half the unit - that’s not too bad. But I thought I'd have done better - cause there were too many mistakes in the section I had already done. Bother - more study for me.
One night I decided to go for a walk. Mainly because I wanted to buy something to drink. All there is in the room is water (which tastes funny) and little milk containers. I drank the milk the first night. So I walked around Melbourne's CBD. Its raining down here (only lightly when I've been walking so far) and it's slightly insane the number of people and umbrellas on the paths. I'm used to Launy and the very quiet streets (in comparison). I bet America and China and even Sydney make this place look extremely tame - but it's more than I’m used to.
Amidst the seas of suits - there was a guy walking down the street in his akubra and dryzabone. Looked about as out of place as I felt.
Anyway - I discovered there was a Macdonalds right next door to the hotel (missed that last night when I arrived), but I kept walking. I was looking for a corner store - so I could buy some coke or something. Apparently these aren’t common in the middle of Melbourne. I found two subways though - which didn’t help. And a whole heap of strange little foodcourts and restaurants. And finally - I came across a 7-Eleven - which looked like an expensive corner store. But just as I was about to go in - I spied an IGA up the street. Perfect! So off I went to the IGA, and bought myself some coke, some juice (for breaky) and some icecreams. Turns out buying 8 icecreams was cheaper than 2 - so I did. I ended up leaving a few in the freezer of the hotel when I left.
The TV there had a movie channel - where you can watch movies if you pay for them. They have Ghost Rider and some other newish things like that - but its $15 a movie. Not cheap. But I had my Dad’s laptop, some books, and of course a lot of study – so I didn’t end up watching any of the movies.
I was watching the movie trailers on the TV (Man of the Year looks very funny) where you can choose what movies to watch. I saw some the previous night and the same ones were on tonight - so I pressed the arrow key to see if I could skip them - but apparently it's not an arrow - its a "C" key - whatever that stands for, and it sent me to the porno menu. Whoops - where's the back key. Apparently that's the “A” key. Greatly obvious remote this.
At least the great big green button says "Pay/Confirm" - not touching that one.
The then came the exam for the course. And it wasn’t exactly fun. It was a multiple choice (or multiple guess) exam. And after a few years of uni – I’ve grown to loath them. You’d think they’d be easier – but they generally aren’t. The answers are generally so specific it isn’t funny. This one wasn’t as bad as some of the others – but it wasn’t great either. We don’t get to find out how we did for a few weeks. The paper exams get mailed overseas to be marked, and then the results get sent back. Good to see such a high-tech system for an IT course.
And then another tram ride back to the Pier, and a night on the ship coming home. But the tram ride was interesting. When it started moving, I wasn’t prepared, and half fell over. Normally I’d have stumbled a little, and righted myself. But unfortunately my bags were right in front of me, so I had to sort of jump over them, and jumping when you’re already falling over isn’t easy. So I ended up crossing half the length of the tram by the time I got my balance back.
And then, a few stops down the line, the tram was suddenly swarmed by inspectors checking tickets. I’d been in line for my ticket when I’d done my falling over act – and had gone back to get my ticket – so I was fine, but one of the other guys there wasn’t. He hadn’t got a ticket – and was escorted off the tram. A $100 on the spot fine for him I think.
So I finally made it to the ship, and then back to Tassie on Saturday morning. I’m very tired after it all – and have to get used to the fact that I have to cook for myself again. Ah well…
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Off to MelbournejawaproMon 25/06/2007 10:00 AM
Well - I´m off to Melbourne for the rest of the week. First up I have to spend a day auditing the computers in the Melbourne office - and then it´s on to a training course.
More exams...
I thought I had finished with them - but alas, it seems you cant get away from exams.
So whats the relevance of the picture of the penguin and the polar bear? Well - there isnt really any - other than the fact that it´s been cold lately - and it´s a cool picture.
Catch you in a week or so.
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Collectors EditionsjawaproFri 22/06/2007 10:00 AM
Check these out!
I just bought myself the Collectors edition of Red Alert 2 from ebay. It comes with a Making-Of DVD, the soundtrack, printed manual, a pewter figure (crono-legionaire), and of course the actual game.
I have owned Red Alert 2 for ages - but never had the proper box. I got the game through a deal with my mates - where we bought a set that had 4 Command and Conquer games. I´ve got that box - but now I have the proper RA2 box as well.
I collect boxes from games that are worth having - so that´s a big deal to me. Not to mention the DVD and figure and things.
I also bought myself the collectors DVD set of the Aliens movies. All 4 movies - with 2 version of each - as well as hours of extra footage. I get the original theatrical versions, as well as the director´s cut.
Quite cool - if I do say so myself.
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Me and my new MousejawaproWed 13/06/2007 10:00 AM
Well - I have finally done it. I have broken my own advice.
I have also upgraded the lowest aspect of my computer. Finally.
My PC itself has been upgraded twice, so have my speakers. I bought a
2nd hand keyboard that I really like. I have had 2 new monitors (the
most recent being a lcd).
But I was still using an old el-cheapo mouse.
Now there are lots of different types of mice when it comes to
computers.
Firstly there are the sort that squeek and eat cheese. These are the
sorts that General John found dead in his power supply - and his brother
found the remains of in his case (on top of his recently purchased, but
now dead graphics card). In other words - if you take your PC to their
place, make sure it dosnt have any mouse sized holes in the case.
But ignoring this little living types - there are still a lot of
different types of mice.
My mouse is optical - I´m not so bad that I was still using a ball
mouse. But it was a cheap A4tech mouse - and it served it´s purpose. But I finally decided to get something better.
Most of my friends have moved on to wireless mice and keyboards - but
I´ve always said I dont trust wireless. I can just imagine how annoying
it would be when the batteries run out as I´m in the middle of a battle
against some alien horde - or worse yet - my best friends.
But now both things have changed.
I upgraded my mouse.
And it´s no longer a cheap officy style mouse. This isnt some wimpy
mouse that´s designed to make you more efficient in the office. This is a
mouse that is sold to gamers.
And it´s normally around $150.
I got it from a stocktake sale fro $45. So I´m pretty happy.
It´s a Logitech G7 Laser Cordless Mouse.
Yep - it´s cordless.
I´m still not sure if that´s a good thing or not - but I´ll be able to
say in a few weeks.
At least this one has two batteries. So you can charge one while you
use the other - and swap when you need to.
At least you dont have to drop out of the game for a few hours to
charge up your dead battery.
It´s got different sensitivity setting you can adjust on the fly - so
one moment you can be scrolling all around, and the next you are doing
fine percision stuff (like sniping).
I was telling Klutz about it - and he was drooling (I assume metaphoricly,
not literally. But I dont know - we were talking on MSN).
So we´ll see how it goes. In a few weeks I´ll either be regretting it -
or a convert to the wireless camp. We´ll wait and see....
And I must confess - that it took me a while to try and turn it on. I was expecting the familar red light under the mouse. Stupid me - laser - duh!
"But swift that joke is not at all" - a random quote from some SPAM
mail I got today.
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Axon LanjawaproTue 12/06/2007 10:00 AM
Finally - another LAN party. After the demise of the legendary NEXUS lans, I´ve been haning out for another decent one to take it´s place.
So up steps Axon. Axon used to have LANs back a few years ago - but it collapsed and disapeared.
But it´s been revived.
Perhaps not up to the standard of a Nexus lan yet - but hey, give it time.
Thanks to MartianLeader (General John), his brothers, and SaberSeed etc. It was a very fun night. And thanks to the admins who made it happen, including Dilmah (the finest admin on earth - or so he claims).
My team managed to survive to the final round of the Cod2 comp - which was quite impressive (thanks SaberSeed), but I was very disapointed that I had to go home before the CnC3 comp. Was looking forward to that one - but I needed some sleep.
See you there next time.
P.S. - you can tell it´s a classy LAN when it has a Chandelier!
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