Babanam Kevalam

As I sat in the back of Baan Dada's truck along with 45 other children at 1am this morning, I thought, I need to share this experience. Despite being up chanting and meditating for 3 1/2 hours the children do not complain, no. They simply find comfort and warmth in each others bodies. They are using every single body part as a pillow, teddy and hot water bottle. I have a teenage girl on my left shoulder, and 2 younger girls under my right arm. One of them eventually falls asleep in my lap. The only reason I have no children on my feet is because 2 other volunteers sit there.

Tonight has been an extremely long night, I'm not suprised theyre tired, I'm tired!And usually at about this time on New Years Eve I'm wide awake partying the night away. Instead, spent the evening singing "Babanam Kevalam" to different melodies played on an acoustic guitar, while walking slowly in a big group circle, hands in prayer position (until your arms get tired). We did this for 3 hours straight. My thoughts were mostly "what does Babanam Kevalam mean?" and "what is the time?".

At the end of the 3 hours we sat for 15 minutes meditation. Which would have been nice if the neighbours weren't blasting terrible Thai pop music and someone didnt constantly take inappropriate pictures of the meditation circle.

It was then 15 minutes to the new year, and Didi told us a fable, which goes something like this:

On a very very hot day, Dada was massaging Baba in his home. It was so hot that day that they had the ceiling fan on the fastest speed. (no air con in this fable)Baba, who was staring at the ceiling fan watching it go round and round, grew curious, and asked "Dada, could you tell me, how many blades are on the ceiling fan?" Dada looked up for a long time and tried counting, but couldnt work out the answer. Eventually he got frustrated and angry, he said "Baba I dont know, its too hard, I can not give you an answer"
Baba replied "Dada, there is no need to get frustrated, all you need to do is turn off the fan at the wall and wait for it to slow down before you count the blades"

This fable probably seems very simple, but the point of it, as Didi said, is that if you cannot find an answer immediately, you should not get frustrated and angry. These emotions will block you from finding a way to your answer.
I like the moral.
Then Dada (2) spoke, and answered the question I had been asking all night. "Babanam Kevalam" means "love is everywhere", and I decide it is very nice to think that was what I had been singing for the 3 hours before 2011.
Baba is also the name of the Guru behind Neo-Humanism, so I think the reason the mantra starts with his name is because during his spiritual journies he became all the emotions he portrayed, especially love.

As we say Happy New Year without the smooches and clank of wine glasses, but still with the typical fireworks competing in the background, I say something to the universe about this year being better than the last.

In the back of the truck, I am thinking to myself the whole journey back to Baan Dada Childrens Home. Tonight was not what I would call an amazing spiritual night. It was boring compared to many new years and many spiritual experiences. But, it was such a different experience to have on such a special night, and at least one I will definitley remember! I hope now the new year is marked with this change in experience, and I that I can only feel Babanam Kevelam the whole year through.

Happy New Year everybody!

Jelousy, happiness and a broken toe

A few blogs ago I talked about how jelous I was of the people who were still working in the states with ISV. Now that the season has finished alot of those people who made it to the end are travelling various places in Europe and South America leaving me with an even deeper feeling of jelousy.
Jelousy... why do we get jelous? It is a natural feeling to be jelous of others who have more than us. But I hate being jelous! I've started reading one of the books I bought in Vietnam; The Art of Happiness by the Dalai Lama and Howard Cutler. It talks about how, when it comes to overall happiness, 'your state of mind is key'.

When we are jelous, we are comparing ourselves to someone who, to us, seems more fortunate than we do. But, if we step back and put it into perspective, there are a lot of people out there much less fortunate than us that should actually make US feel like the fortunate ones.

However, I've read this, and I understand it to be true, but for some reason I am still jelous. Lately I've started to realise how short life really is, because I have so much I want to do in my life and now, only at 21 years old, I feel like I'm going to struggle to do everything I want to do! Anyone who is older than me right now is probably shaking their head at what im saying haha!
I know I need to just accept that we can only do so much, I'm not superwoman (unless I find some kriptonite...hrmmm).

And I do know how fortunate I am to have had a financially stable upbringing, a loving family, opportunity in education....

Sometimes we just need to keep reminding ourselves to put it in perspective. Or get someone to help you put it in perspective! Its not always easy, especially when you're having a bad day. Like yesterday, I broke my toe!! I just walked into the wall...really hard obviously. Its not even a good story is it? But it really hurts and now I cant walk properly! It has certainly affected my immediate happiness, but I'm working on it :)

And to finish this blog I have a nice quote from His Holiness the Dalai Lama himself
"we dont need more money, we dont need greater success or fame, we dont need the perfect body or the perfect mate - right now, at this very moment, we have a mind, which is all the basic equipment we need to acheive complete hapiness."

Figuring it all out

I've been working at Roger David for 2 weeks now, and really enjoying it. Infact, I was one of the top sales people in all of Australia in my first week and got an award! Thanks ISV for the training...now I can use it to succeed elsewhere!ha!

Today is the first real day I've had a good break. Its 6.30pm and I'm still in my PJs but I think I deserve a day like this after how busy Ive been this week! Ive been going to Yoga with Dee every week and am starting a beginners course tomorrow. I love going to class, its so challanging but the way our teacher structures the classes makes you feel like you've improved hugely in just one session. I also bought a little book with yoga techniques so me and Dee can keep it up at home as well! I feel more relaxed, more energised, more flexible..and just generally happy. Highly recommended!

In terms of how the adjustment is going...it seems to be going slowly. I still havent got my tax file number from the government which I have been waiting for, I need it soon because if I dont get it I will be taxed 47%! I've tried to sort out health insurance but have to get a medicare card first, and in order to get that I need to sign a statutory declaration stating that I will be in Australia permanently. What is permanentley anyway??! I don't do permanent...

Otherwise...I have made a big decision. One I'm really excited and happy about. Im going to be a teacher!!! I was working yesterday with a girl who has just finished her teaching degree and thought to myself..why did I not think of this before!! The pay in Western Australia for teachers is amazing. Starting rate is $57,000 in the cities and $75,000 in the country. I would get to work with kids which would be heaps of fun, AND I wont be sitting on my bum all day which I hate! AND because I already have a degree I only need to do a 1 year post grad diploma and Im ready to teach!

I've had a look at the Edith Cowen University website and have got my application form ready to fill out this week. *cross fingers touch wood etc etc*

"Gooood morning Missss Looooong"
hahah!

I'm ripping up my degree, I think it would be more useful recycled and used as toilet paper

12 hours after arriving in Perth, I was offered a job and started on the spot, then I quit 3 hours later. The job was, what I thought would be perfect. Tour consultant at Discover West Holidays. They offered me the job on the spot which made it hard to refuse and asked me to start training right away. They then told me I could only wear black, white, beige and navy to work..even though I would have no customer contact. Apparently what I was wearing looked like I was on holiday! (I don't think these people know how to holiday). I hated it already. And then, I'm told we can't even have our cellphones on in the building...what about the lunch room?? Where is the trust in your employees??

I thought about it over lunch. My neck was already sore from sitting on my ass all morning. The pay was crap and it would take me 1 1/2 hours to get to work every day. BUT This job COULD be good for my career, right? But whats the point in being unhappy in a job that is only going to lead me to another, maybe higher payed and respected, but boring job in every way. I decided right there and then, I just cannot work in an office anymore.

So now I have no flippen idea what to do with my life. But it feels kind of good to be lost. At least it means theres lots of things to find! Good or bad...

I decided I need to do something on my feet, talking to people. Mainly because thats what I liked about working for ISV. First thing that comes to mind - retail.

But then I have a moral dillemma. I'm trying to become less materialistic, and would love others to be the same. Thats not really retail in a nutshell..

However, I don't have time for moral dilemmas, I'm running out of money, and I need a fun job to do. Fast!

Anyway, I've landed a job as Assistant Manager for Roger David which is a rather flash mens store in Aussie. The Manager is so lovely so I'm sure I will enjoy working with her. Its in a mall only 15 mins up the road, and the hours are good. It means I can be on my feet bouncing around all day talking to random people, yay!

Oh, but disapointment! Its rained 2 days since I got here! Come on Perth mr sunniest city in the world! Actually, I'm not complaining, I did get to spend an hour on the beach the other day. Plan to do that everyday after work alllll summer! You jelous? huh? You better be!!

Life will do a 180 on you at least twice a year...

I promise there has been a reason I haven't updated this for a while...

I've been contemplating whether to tell the world the truth I guess. So here I am deciding to say it…I got fired!

And I’m currently sitting back at a desk at SeaLink in New Zealand working on the phones because I’m practically bankrupt! I’m so thankful for them letting me come back for a few weeks while I’m home.

So I’m going to attempt to tell you the answer to the question I have been asking myself for the last few weeks. What the hell went wrong?

My last entry was talking about how hard the work was as a Recruiter, but how fun it was. And I certainly haven’t changed my mind on that. When it was good, I felt like a rock star. But, when it was bad, it was hell with no way out. No one will ever quite understand the intensity of it all, because at the end of the day, it was just a sales job, right?

No, it was not just a sales job. And I would love to go into the intensity of it but bad mouthing a good company publicly is not how I roll. I’m just disappointed, because I KNOW that had I been given equal opportunity I would still be in America and could be doing an awesome job of it. I keep looking at some of the other recruiters photos and feeling happy for them but sick to my stomach because I know I should be there selling the program. I don’t care that it was so stressful I started biting my nails again for the first time in years, swore more than ever, and that I almost wanted to start smoking (but didn’t). I don’t care! I feel like no one on this planet wants anyone to go on that program more than I want them to, because it was a beautiful thing for me and it changed my life. So why shouldn’t I be selling it?!! I’m a big believer that everything happens for a reason, I just wish that reason was evident right now…

Anyway, rant over. I do apologise to everyone I haven’t contacted since I’ve been back in NZ, I didn’t see the point in saying hello and goodbye all over again, since it was such a big goodbye when I left in June. I’m leaving for Australia again this Saturday morning. I’ll be spending a weekend in Sydney with my friend Greg then I’ll be starting life in Perth on Monday!

Since there’s always a lot of talk about people crossing the ditch for various reasons (mine being change, money and weather), I’m going to keep updating my blog as to how the adjustment is going.

So far I have already set up an Aussie bank account, which was super easy over the phone because Commonwealth Bank in Australia own ASB bank. All I need to do is go and pick up my debit card when I get to Perth. I’ve applied for jobs on Seek, and I will be staying with my friend Dionne till the end of summer. Hopefully this attempt to work in another country doesn’t turn out so badly! Wish me luck. :-D

ISV - the most intensive training ever.

I've just started my first week on campus and let me tell you... it hasn't come easy.

First let me explain what my job is..
Mon - Wed I am running between classes making announcements (At least 20), not just any old announcement, but a LOUD, fast and entertaining announcement in front of lecture halls filled with students! Then on Thursday I am giving 45 minute presentations with a partner talking about travel and volunteering opportunities overseas!
Does everyone understand this? (Nod head).

To get to this point all of the recruiters went through a 2 week training process starting in Sydney but the majority in Big Bear - California. Big Bear is 8000ft above sea level and being a Kiwi and always close to the sea it actually made it difficult to breath. And considering breathing is rather important especially when your running and yelling for 12 hours a day... we ALL got sick. I don't just mean we got the sniffles, there was Pneumonia and Bronchitis going around. I think overall 4 people ended up leaving training because they were too ill or realised that the job ahead was going to be a bit too intense.

And when I say 12 hours a day... it was actually more like 16... because on top of training we had homework. Homework yay!!!! We spent a lot of our 'homework' time complaining about things though to be honest, about how crap the food was or about how insane it is to be expected to train so much BUT, I hate to admit it, it was all necessary. I'm on campus now and my first 2 announcements were sooo shaky, even though Ive been practicing it for over a month.

Good news is, in my last round of announcements I actually got cheers and applauds by everyone in the lecture. Never before have I felt more like a ROCKSTAR! WOO!

Super amped.. but cant wait to get to bed tonight... the 5.45am start was killer especially being Jetlagged errrr

20 hours in Singapore

What a city! We ended up with an overnight stay in Singapore because we could get the most ridiculously cheap flight if we did. So sweet, a night out in Singapore! Except...Dionne was still feeling the affects of food poisoning :( Although we were staying in a dorm so I asked some of the English girls (Selena and Zoe) in our dorm if I could tag along when they went out for a 'Singapore Sling'.

Im glad I went with these girls, because they had been in the city a few days and knew their way around! I had no idea where they were taking me :P But we ended up at Raffles which is THE PLACE to get a Singapore Sling, for $22!!! (Around the same in NZD). F*** me Ive never had a cocktail that expensive! :P But it was pretty good...

We then moved on planning to get some food, and went down to the river which is apparently the place to be. It was soo busy because the following day was Singapore National Day and it was also the evening that the Olympics started so everyone was watching the opening ceremony on a big screen. Downtown was so pretty as well, it was so clean and lit really well. We met 2 other girls in town - Lindsey and Ada.
There was a bar called 'clinic' where you could sit in a wheelchair and drink out of a drip!! We were set on going to the biggest Ministry of Sound club in the world though, and after asking some Singaporeans where on earth we were, we found it! Although, I didn't even think to have ID on me and they almost didn't let me in! I didn't even know what the drinking age is...

Anyway, it was $20 to get in but that included 2 drink vouchers, and lucky Emily found another 2 drink vouchers in the Ladies! So I was pretty much set for the evening :) We all seemed to loose each other during the night so met up every hour, but me and Lindsey decided we wanted to stay out later than the others, I mean, you don't get to go to the worlds biggest MOS club everyday right?! Although Lindsey did end up going again the next day haha. The club had a few different rooms but we stayed in the main room where there was a rotating dance floor and much better music :)

We caught a cyclo home with a boom box attached so we sang Pussy Cat Dolls 'When I Grow Up' and Oasis all the way back down Orchard Street. Hahaha. It was a great night!

Next morning I was far too tired to get up for breakfast so we hung out in the hostel until it was time to go to the airport. I was soo not ready to leave Asia, but now Im in Perth and can't wait to be back here in November!