I managed
to catch a flu mid last week, or not really flu but a cactus ended up to my
throat and I was dead tired and overslept both Thursday and Friday. I decided
to “take it easy” during weekend to make sure I am in good shape heading for
Melbourne. Back in Finland I was very bad in the “take it easy” promise.
According to my dear brother 98% of times when I have told him on Friday
afternoon to “take it easy, going just for a glass of wine and early to bed” I
have ended having a massive night out and a bottle instead of the glass (no. I
don’t have a problem but I get easily carried away in good company). Nothing
has changed from Helsinki to Brisbane and “Take it easy” did not happen. What
happened was basically Sauvignon Blanc. On Friday night I had agreed to do the October
dress up fine-dining evening with Marijke. This time our chosen restaurant was
E’cco, a modern Australian restaurant in CBD/Fortitude Valley. I had very high
expectations based on reviews and The Good Guide and once again the food turned
out to be mediocre and definitely not worth the price. It is a common story
here. Rare restaurants are excellent or surprising and most of them pure main
stream according to my standards, Sake is still favorite. Anyways the night was
lovely as always, talk about life with big heart. Looking at the big picture I
really don’t care if I am eating rice cakes or pickled onions as long as I can
have a good catch-up with a dear friend...it’s the catch up that really counts.
We also got free glass of wine that was left over from a couple sitting next to
us who were in “get a room” state throughout the dinner and poor Marijke was
sitting sideway opposite to the lady whose breasts were disturbingly out there.
She deserved the extra glass
Saturday I
made another promise to “take it easy” that lasted until 8pm when I grabbed a
bottle of cold SB from fridge and headed to have few drinks at Marijke’s
balcony (she has a lovely balcony with very cosy sofa that is perfect for
spending the whole night out). Everyone had apparently brought at least one
bottle of wine, which with simple math leads to the situation of everyone
drinking at least one bottle too. I don’t remember what time it was when I
headed back home curled up to a blanket (it was cold in my opinion, i.e. I was
more sick leaving when coming) and having difficulties to walk straight. How
did this happen? It happens. Oh well, that was only the second night in a row. On
Sunday I kind of gave up the hope of “taking it easy” as I was attending a
farewell party and had agreed last night at Marijke’s balcony
to continue straight to Story Bridge Hotel to watch Australia- New Zealand world
champs Rugby game (another indicator of me being drunk on Saturday to promise
go and see rugby...I recall we were talking also something about getting the
Wallabies game shirts (!!) which luckily didn’t happen...pheeew). I enjoyed the
wine at the farewell party, I thought it was a brilliant idea to continue to SBH
around 6pm, thought the situation also called for more SB, got more SB and around
8.30pm realized I need to go to work the next morning and made the best
decision of the weekend not to continue with others to Boundary for drinks but
headed home to Skype with Mom and Kiira instead. It was lovely to Skype again and
see Kiira eat blueberry pie and explain what she had done with Mumma during
weekend. I cried afterwards a little. I’ve been fairly emotional lately and
missing the little people a lot. More than anything I wished I could have her
on my lap, read a book and smell her hair and give a kiss too. I gave her a “lentosuukko” in Skype instead
and got many of them back. I love her and she loves me. That is what really
counts.
So in a
nutshell I had an awesome weekend that was more out of hand than easy going and
I decided not to make such a foolish promise “to take it easy” again. It was
foolish after all. Especially when I made it to office 8.45 on Monday looking
almost fresh and rested. On Mondays almost is enough.
I’ve also
played football, or futsal whatever. Well, you cannot call it “playing” as such
but yes I have been on a futsal court, part of black team and wondering what
the hell I am doing here and counting seconds for some 40 minutes and cursing
one particular project Friday pub were I was persuaded to join. I do think the
recruitment method was a bit questionable; to start with, it happened around
9pm after some 5 hours of happy hour. Me and my colleague were guessing the
home country of one of our stream leads based on his accent, I voted for
Italy/Spain, my colleague was confident for France, the loser was supposed to
buy a beer and I lost (also wondering how come I agreed the price to be a beer
as I don’t even drink beer). He was French. Anyways I had a chat with the
French stream lead, later on he came to ask if I wanted a glass of SB and join
his team "The Happy Miners" in the project futsal tournament as they are lacking ladies and each
team has to have at least two ladies playing. I was slightly blinded by the
first question that obviously got “yes” and didn’t really listen what the
second question was and in no time he handed over a team shirt and said “see u in
a week Monday”. Shit. Wot? I said I really cannot play football, I don’t know
what “paitsio” is and the only games I have watched were two last games of
Uruguay in the world champs 2010 and solely because of Diego Forlan *sigh for
Diego* He said it doesn’t matter if I can play or not and “no one of us can and
it’s all about fun and games”. Great, I
am into team activities and fun and games. Or so I thought.
Anyways,
this Monday I attended my very first ever futsal game as a "Happy Miner" and thinking back, I
guess the last time I have played football goes to 1980s when the gymnastic
teacher gave football and orienteering as the options to choose from and with
my sense of direction I was kind of forced to choose football. Luckily my very
positive and optimistic colleague and a team player Bec promised to come with
me from office to the game venue and reassured me throughout our way that “it’s
a lot of fun and you’ll manage fine”. Ok, I can do this. At the TAFE centre I
needed to invest 16 dollars for proper socks (at least 1 meter long very thick
and uncomfortable and ugly socks) and shin pads, I said out loud that in my
wildest dreams I didn’t really see myself investing any money to a pair of shin
pads and life has a tendency to surprise. I had a black team shirt on so all of
my fellow colleagues with black shirt were my team members. Here we go. I’ll
tell you straight the game was not fun and games. For starters I don’t have
that boyish urge to “fight for the ball” so the idea of chasing it and trying
to tackle opposite team members to get the ball felt somehow very strange. I am
a kind person and don’t like tackling people. So I chose the strategy of
staying away from the hassle and if the ball came my way I tried to get rid of
it as soon as possible. Other thing causing discomfort was with the position on
the field. Throughout the game one guy (from my team) was shouting “up Anna,
Down Anna, Up Anna” and I found that very confusing. I think it was even a bit
rude to shout to me, especially when he was not playing. So I got very
irritated for this guy as I think he should’ve just left me alone. Mur. Then the
last bit was with the kicking itself. It’s difficult. My first problem was not knowing
if I should kick with left or right foot. I think I am a leftie (left leg is my
stronger one) but in the sudden situation of the ball coming against the decision
wasn’t that clear and I struggled to make one. And if you struggle to make a
decision the momentum might be gone already. The fourth problem was hitting the
ball in case I had made the decision early. You might miss the ball if you are
not looking at it when kicking. This happened quite a few times too. I think it
was 5 minutes before the end of game and after my 10th miss when
dear Bec gave me advice “Anna, look at the ball when you are kicking”. Okie.
Thanks. I think it was a brilliant advice but too bad no one was passing for me
during the last 5 minutes (for a reason as the situation was 6-6 and my team
mates didn’t really see me as THE key asset for us to win) and I didn’t get a
chance to fix the problem. “Look at the ball” must be the universal rule of
thumb for any ball game but still it is easier said than done...I’ve struggled
with it also with tennis (I am way better in tennis than football which is kind of
comforting, also with tennis you get to wear pretty clothes and decide yourself
if you’re up or down). I do believe the
challenge with “eye on the ball” is a female gene thing. It is natural for
women to look further than the moment at hand. In life, for example, women are
very often speculating and trying to crystal ball the situation further than it
is really possible and our focus is in the opportunities going forward rather
than in the second we are experiencing. Funny enough, here I have been living
more in the moment than ever before, I actually don’t have the ability to plan
long haul. I have absolutely no idea where I am in 6/12/18 months, in terms of
work, life and myself (location ought to be Bris for a year at least) and it
feels painful when my manager is in a side sentence telling me to commit to the
project until end of 2012 as I cannot even plan what I will eat for dinner or what
to do the next weekend. Down under I am
not that interested about future ahead but more so about the moment of now. But
the normal thing gene happens with tennis (and football apparently), as a woman I am not that
interested about the moment of racket touching the ball but instead what’s
happening opposite side of the net when the ball gets there. And sure, I have
learned in a very harsh way that before the ball really gets to the other side
of the net (and doesn’t end up being a weather observation ball or one in the
net) you need to look at it as the touch point is the most important moment in
the life of the ball determining its future. Long story short, I blame the female
genes for missing the ball. And to summarize: I suck at football big time. BIG.
Anyways after the game the French stream
lead who recruited me asked if I enjoyed the game “No. I hated every second”.
He looked confused and sorry. Seriously, if he paid attention in the game, he should
be smart enough not to ask. I told Bec I
think this was my first and last try. She said “it will only get better” and we
just need to work on my attack game. I don’t know if I want to attack. I am a
kind person after all.
Rest of
life has been mainly work. Few hours ago I delivered a big junk of stuff I have
been working the past few weeks (on top of on-boarding), got very positive
feedback and am ready to take off to Melbourne tomorrow morning to celebrate
dear Simone and Markus getting married. Yes, I have a long weekend ahead in
Melbourne and I am so excited I almost cannot stay in my pants. Next week’s
post is also a bit in danger zone as I arrive from Melb late Sunday night and
head to Sunshine coast for a workshop until Friday afternoon. So most likely no
news next week but double news the week after.
Now I
better continue packing. JIIIIIIIIIIIIHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!
//Ansku
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