Went with Vyanne to pick up some herbs yesterday for planting. It’s not really the ideal season to start growing things, being winter and all, but better to start the idea than to wait and let the passion for it die down. Got some sage, thyme, coriander and italian parsley. I threw the plant in at the back for cheap at $3 just for some colour. The shopkeeper just said to buy whatever herbs you use when we asked him what would grow easily. Heh, waiting for basil in the spring and if this lot work out, we might add some mint, chives and other exotic stuff.

Got a bag of potting mix, and while it looks bad, we decided to get some deep Styrofoam boxes to let the herbs grow in. Right now they are just sitting in little pots. Now hoping that the green fingers my mom has will rub off on me.

If the herbs work out, this will be rewarding I feel.

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Starting to look at jobs now and staying focused on getting my CV ready, and just banging out the applications. Keeping my options open at the moment, and being not entirely sure what I want to do, I will just apply for things that are interesting. Heh, I realise that all my jobs have imparted good experience to me. I’ve worked in retail selling fish, photocopying stuff etc. I’ve worked behind a computer screen just producing reports. Moved up from there to talking with prime brokers to sort things out. Every job is a form of problem solving. Sometimes it’s just a routine textbook process, other times you have to sit down, pen it all out and make improvements while you are doing it.

Heh, not quite ready to make the commitment to start an own business as yet. If I do start working soon, I will plan that move over the next 2 years.

Vyanne has been busy in the kitchen the past week. She’s been cooking Indian curries, making pancakes and just recently she was making Chinese dumplings (pictured above). I’ve been helping her out and I’m only good at chopping up stuff and washing dishes. Heh, I’m not terribly good with my hands and wrapping stuff, so that’s all I can contribute at times.

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The weather’s the usual, bright and sunny some days, just dreary and damp on others. Not too fussed about the cold.

It’s the start of the 3rd week since I’ve been back. Slowly getting into the flow of fixing up my CV. Heh, it’s been a while since I’ve sat still with a piece of paper and pen, trying to focus on what I should be planning, doing. Just want to make myself useful again, not sure why I’m apprehensive at times about what I can do. Lacking direction and really need a good whipping at times to get motivated to do things. Just have to pick myself up soon and get on with doing things. Not going to make myself too comfortable, I need to set that alarm once more to dig myself out of bed early to get things done.

My friend’s birthday cake. Celebrated the Monday that passed.

Much into the highly saturated look of things these days. Have sort of known that if the colour is no good but the composition is still not bad, a picture can be salvaged by using monotones or adding your own tones to it. Testing out the lenses I haven’t used much (those I did not bring to NYC) and using them to compose pictures. Heh, they feel quite different.

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Was supposed to start looking for work this week, but there seems to be plenty of other things to do during each day. Have started looking what’s offer in the job market in my space, and there seems to be plenty of slightly more senior fund accountant jobs available. The salary packages are pretty decent as well. I’m also noticing that more senior positions require another piece of paper, either a CFA/CPA/CA qualification to get up the salary bracket. Personally not terribly keen on further studies, and maybe I’ve been scaring myself that they are harder than they may actually be. I know the syllabus for CFA requires 3 phone directories and frankly, cramming an entire year’s worth of knowledge into 3 month’s study doesn’t quite scare me. No point giving me a year to study it as I know it would be forgotten by month 5 or 6.

There is the personal dilemma on how I want to continue my career. Do I want to continue in finance, where the remuneration is pretty decent and can go a long way? Or do I want to go chase a dream in photography, something I’d be totally motivated to do day in and out (until I burn out of course) but terrifying in the sense that I’d have to go carve out an entire niche for myself. I’m technically competent in photography, and still working on the creative aspects of it. However there is also the business aspect of it, meeting clients, handling your expenses, plan B for when things don’t go according to plan, everything.

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Met up with ex-employers, presented ex-bosses with bottles of wine, just as a token of gratitude for sending me to the far away land of NYC. Heh, a little reserved in communication but just wanted to have a sense of closure and leave on a good note. I was given the opportunity to ask questions but it never crossed my mind to have anything that I needed to know. Strangely contented with things that have transpired so far. They did ask me about what I wanted to do and I said I haven’t thought much about it. Heh, it’s a bit difficult to mention the consideration of changing professions to go take pictures from doing IT/finance work previously. It’s a personal choice at the moment, and more subjective than it is weighing pros and cons. Will get to it soon enough.

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On the lighter side of things, getting back into the Melbourne way of life. Meeting friends, cooking something beyond basic pasta, hanging out etc. There are some other habits from staying in NYC that I’d like to introduce to my current lifestyle. Heh, it’s fundamentally me but different.

Having a little difficulty getting out of bed these mornings as I don’t have any urgency to move and get going. Cold weather makes for a good hibernating environment.

Had cousins and aunt over for dinner today. I popped the idea to cook Indian food and Vyanne just planned the rest of it. Didn’t manage to cook everything before the guests arrived so there are no fancy pictures of the food nicely prepared. My housemate Kheng helped a lot and did all the entertaining. There was no shortage of laughter going round. He cooked asam laksa the previous Sunday as a promise to me and we’ve been having guests over a lot. I do like the rowdy atmosphere and after having spent a year in solitude, don’t mind it so much these days. Heh, have Sarawak laksa at Ken’s place on Sunday, cooked courtesy of his mom. With so much more activity in a week, you won’t question why I prefer Melbourne to NYC. Heh, no longer feeling odd.