Personal

Moral dilemma over a job, of all things.

/ Lisa

A few months ago I applied for a job. Now, obviously, I’m looking for a job and am applying for on average two or three a week.

This one is specific. I’m not going to say who it was for, but it was for a reporter in Christchurch. (You can probably guess, but take into account all community papers/magazines too and you actually have no idea.)

Anyway, about a week after I applied, I got an email from the editor saying thank you for your application, but we are not going to be filling this position, basically, ever.

This of course made me a little bit angry – why bother advertising the job if you’re not going to hire someone?

But now I am faced with a decision of applying for, essentially, the same job. It has come up again in job searches.

Do I want to apply for this job? Do I want to move back to Christchurch?

I really want to be in Wellington, because of Man Piece. There’s no point in hiding this. As much as we could probably figure out the long distance thing, I just don’t want to do it. We’re technically doing it now and I loathe it.

But also because of the state of the city currently. I love Christchurch, or loved. I haven’t been able to see how much it has changed since February and if I was to move back there and see it, it might just break my heart. I loved Christchurch because of all the old buildings, but now most of them are not there, or need to be knocked down. I’d rather not see it and preserve the memories I had of the beautiful city.

Then there is the fact that when I was told the position was not going to be filled – I was told via email and it was in less that 140 characters, because I remember that I tweeted it. The editor should have just tweeted me and saved him a bit of time. Email of course is the main communication tool for applying for jobs currently, so that’s not weird and I guess it was courteous of them to actually let me know. Because I hear from about a quarter of the ones I apply for.

I hate when employers do this too. I’ve applied for several jobs, get the “thanks, but no thanks” email and then they re-list the ad a few weeks later! Rather frustrating.

I shouldn’t be so picky either. It’s hard times finding a job currently, especially in journalism, I should know! I should be applying for everything and anything that comes up. But part of me also wants to exclude Christchurch because anyone that is down there deserves the job over me anyway.

I’m actually so torn about applying for this specific job. I have arguments for and against and I actually don’t know which one wins out.

Help!

The quake unnerved me. Unusual.

/ Lisa / 1 Comment

Just had an earthquake.

Being reported as 6.6, off the coast. It was a little bit fun. Just cause I like quakes, but it was unnerving at the same time.

Having grown up in Hastings, we had it drilled into us to be prepared for “the big one”. My own Grandfather survived the 1931 quakes.

I had a moment where I froze, waiting to see if it would get bigger and whether I actually needed to get up. You kind of learn when and when not to get up over the years.

It was unnerving in the sense that at first I thought it was the usual creaky house in the wind. Then I saw my clothes in the wardrobe moving and my door swinging. It felt like it went on for about 30 seconds or so.

An earthquake has never really unnerved me before, as I said, I kind of like them. But I think it’s a bit more unnerving, because after Christchurch and growing up expecting a big one in Hawke’s Bay, every quake you feel here now you think, “Is this it?”

I guess I can kind of start to understand what people in Christchurch are going through, but at the same time, I know I am nowhere near understanding unless I’m there myself.

Anyway, I just needed something to write about today, because I’ve sat in bed all day doing nothing. Unless napping is something? I applied for a job though, that counts. In my usual style, I managed to rant. I have a very high skill when it comes to ranting.

Time for sleeps, it’s 2am.

A whole lotta nothin’

/ Lisa

Oh hai!

I feel like I haven’t done a post in ages, but it’s only been six days. I guess I’ve just done a lot, or it seems like it.

I’m back in Hell. It sucks. So I’m trying to keep myself super busy and to basically not stop for even a minute.

Which means I’ve gotten a bit done in the two-and-a-half days I’ve been back.

But first, before I even left Wellington I applied for a couple more jobs. Slow and steady. I do have a few to do, so I might concentrate on them tomorrow.

I’ve been really making a go of trying to do my photography modules, but when the one you’re working on is about exposure and you need a clear day or an overcast day and the weather doesn’t want to play ball, it’s kind of difficult.

Oh well. I think I have managed to semi-succeed in doing this module. I just need to write it up and hopefully if it is a sunny day tomorrow, have a bit more of a play around with my camera.

I’ve had a bit more of a clean out and this time I’ve been a bit more brutal, but I also discovered a few gems.

Just going through my wardrobe, I was just seeing clothes and wondering, ‘Why the hell do I have this in my wardrobe?’ and decided to get rid of it. So I’ve got some clothes to go to charity and a few pieces to take into Recycle Boutique.

But in the clean out, I found a few things I had kind of forgotten about because I didn’t think they would fit me anymore. Turns out I was wrong.

Yay!

So I’ve rediscovered a few jackets, more blazer like, that I could wear over black dresses (which I have a few of) for work etc. They will just kind of joosh them up a bit.

Also rediscovered a pair of jeans. They *technically* don’t fit – basically I can’t do them up. But they fit my legs and bum exceptionally well. They are actually quite comfortable. For most people this might be a sign not to wear the jeans, but this is the problem that I have with pants ALL THE TIME.

If I can find a pair to actually do up around my stomach, they are massive around my thighs and bum and look really weird. Almost like I’m wearing a circus tent of sorts. So what I have done with these pants is to wear them with a belt and a long, baggy-ish top. Nobody can tell. And they actually look better than a pair that I already wear.

Goddamn clothes. Goddamn body shape being an apple.

I baked some delicious cupcakes today – lemon meringue. So tasty. And being the fatty that I am, ate the left over meringue like it was cake. (If I carry on like this my body shape will remain an apple #neverendingcycle)

Last time I made them I didn’t beat the meringue enough and it kind of started to collapse and you could see the sugar crystals. This time I beat it and beat it and beat it. I could not beat it anymore. It didn’t seem to be making any difference. But it was delicious and thick and sweet.

But it kind of weirded me out for a bit that it was actually the egg white, or albumen – it protects the yolk but is supposed to provide nutrition for the growth of the embryo. IT’S THE STUFF AROUND THE BABY CHICKEN.

Um… ew. It made me want to vom a little. Why do we use this in baking again? But it can taste so good…

I have digressed…

I think I might head to bed and read a bit of Twitterature.

Oh, and I got Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows on DVD today. #squeeee

I’ve got Wellington brain.

/ Lisa

Man piece has this talent of distracting me from my blog posts.

Whenever I’m in Wellington, I seem to forget about doing them. And it’s the time when my life is the most exciting! Which is what people really want to read about, isn’t it?

Can you believe that I am about to say, I haven’t been up to much?

Well I haven’t. Although I’ve been up to much more than what I would have done in Hastings, it’s still not a very exciting ‘much’, but at least in Wellington I have gotten out with friends.

Last night involved a rather alcohol friendly night on Wellington town, which has left me not so shiny today.

The hash browns, banana and maple syrup with several glasses of coke in the afternoon made me feel slightly more human.

Sleeping till 2pm also had the same affect.

But I am deteriorating again and no amount of coke zero can save me.

I have done one time job application tonight. Hopefully more tomorrow.

Have played with my new camera a bit since being down here, but might actively try and do one my modules tomorrow too. (Note to self: must go and find an 18% grey card)

I’m really liking the manual focus and the macro setting on it is amaze.

I think it is now off to bed for me, because I kind of want to do stuff tomorrow (finding a job is number one priority) and may read a little bit of Twitterature to dull the eyelids.

Good day m’lovelies!

(I can hear the rain against the window. Score!)

Cool story bro…

/ Lisa

Ummmmmmmmmmm….

I don’t really remember what I’ve done since the last time I blogged. I don’t even remember the last time I blogged.

Awkward.

So I’m in Welly with Man Piece, so obviously I’ve been doing him.

I didn’t just say that. Oh, wait…

Moving right along.

I napped on the couch today. I…

I have no idea what I was saying because Man Piece just jumped up, slammed the table and went “Oh, I want icecream!”

I nearly shat myself. Actually I may have done. I wouldn’t put it passed me right now. I thought the earth was about to swallow us whole for his reaction.

Fucking weirdo.

This weekend has been pretty awesome though. I’m feeling much better just being here. So hopefully I’ll get my momentum back and I’ll get to applying for jobs again. Not necessarily journalism ones either. Maybe a basic data entry one or something down here just to get a bit of cash flow in.

But hopefully journalism ones. Because, yanno, I’m awesome and the like. Just putting it out there. If anyone *hint hint, wink wink, nudge nudge* is reading. I write good, real good.*

Anyway, must go and continue twitter fight with Man Piece. Apparently it’s what we do, along with being the grossest, cutesy, PDA twitter couple around.

I might just make myself vomit.

*Not so much here.