Busy Body

Apologies for not having scrawled my thoughts down here sooner - I've been a little busy of late. There's been movements with work, romance, friends and life in general that have captured my attention more than recording things. So apologies.

It hasn't stopped me from thinking about recording my random thoughts though, like the night-scape of Wellington. It's refreshing to walk through it at night sober and see the serenity of the innercity. I intend to record some sort of photo essay on the topic when I have the chance.

Other random thoughts have harked back to a different time - being Halloween today it brought memories of this night last year, and the stories. I long for the child-like wonderment that Halloween used to bring, and how I recpatured it for a brief time in Hamburg.

We've had no trick-or-treaters tonight either. I purposively went to the supermarket to invest in some fun-size chocolate bars. Yet the only scallywags enjoying them are my flat mates. I don't mean to sound bitter, but I saw all the kids in the city running off to Halloween parties, and they were so very enthusiastic. I want the freedom to do that. If I had more hours in the day, I would have set about organising something, but my time has been taken up with organising a catchup next week for the Moot Family.

I've also found myself pondering the change a haircut can bring. It's odd how trimming locks of hair can have that effect - a fresh cut, a fresh smile. Never ceases to amaze me. Might have something to do with the random but engaging conversations I have with my hairdresser - who would have thought dressing up like a Storm Trooper would be that much fun.

And keeping with the child-like theme of this posting, I can't help but get excited over The Golden Compass (I still prefer its real title The Northern Lights, but Americans just had to be different). I hope it captures the brilliance of the books.

Oh, and I've been thoroughly enjoying my music again when I get the chance. Highlights include: Big Head Todd & The Monsters, Jose Gonzalez, Feist, and well, anything that crosses my path really. I've been out of the audiophile loop for too long.

So now, with the evening winding down and some time to myself, I think I'll go and indugle in some fun-size chocolate bars while I read in bed.

Wow

This week has been interesting. Tiring, but interesting.

Favourite Things

The weatherman often gets things wrong, and I'm so very glad he was so very wrong today. It was gloriously sunny day. The sun had real heat in it, the air was warm, and Summer is definitely on its way. It felt good to be out and about all day today, and it feels good to soak in that sun-kissed feeling. And smell. I swear I smell different after being in the sun, and I can only describe it as smelling of warmth from sunshine. The closest I can come is that smell of sheets that have just dried on a warm afternoon. Slightly off-beat I know, but it's the best I can do.

Speaking of things that have been done, and appallingly bad segues, work has gotten me published for a brief article I wrote on copyright and filesharing. Nothing big, but it's getting a fair amount of exposure on the web and soon in print. First step on the way to something bigger I hope.

And, now I am pooped. All that sun and exercise has sapped me, and it feels good.

Clarity

It sometimes scares me how there are moments in my life when I feel like there is absolute clarity. It doesn't bother me that the moments are few and far between, nor that I can't explain them. But that everytime there is one of these moments, my life changes for the better.

It all started a little while back with my workload drying up bit by bit. Don't get me wrong, there'd be days when I'd be up to my neck in work, but the vast majority of late has been scrounging round for things to do. This included researching and writing various articles, which will be published shortly.

Then last night I had a seminar on Work/Life Balance. It was quite astounding really. Nothing new, but hearing it all together has put some things into perspective: it's all about passion and doing what you love. If you're not loving what you do, you find it. Finding that and finding the passion will help things flow better and the balance will come.

And the catalyst - My results for the Patent Attorney Exams came back. I was sitting three out of the necessary six exams. They weren't kidding when they said they were hard. I failed all, hitting 48%. Close, but not close enough. Quite gut wrenching upon reading the results, the thoughts of the numerous hours spent studying, spurning the various social gatherings offered, and just the effort and stress put in just weren't enough.

So I'm sitting in my office distraught, when it all clicks. There was this brilliant moment of clarity, where I realised my career is not going in the direction I want, and I have the opportunity to really take control and bring it back onto the path I want. And that's what I've been building on today.

I can't describe the clarity that came. But I'm holding onto it, working on what I can, and moving towards the others. Brilliant.

In the meantime, I leave you with these two gems, capturing today for me:

• Chris Knox's fantastic anthem, Not Given Lightly; and
• Lou Reed's timeless Perfect Day.

Enjoy.

Take the Power Back

It's an amazing experience hearing an entire industry coming to its knees, and you can share the experience with Radiohead's In Rainbows. It is a glorious album, and Radiohead continue to thrill me. Thank you Elaine.

But the best thing about this album is the distribution. It's a purely digital solo effort by Radiohead, and ever since the announcement was made, there's been tremblings from the Recording Industry. You can hear them cracking.

Go there, download the album at a price you think is worthwhile, and away you go. I'm happy to pay for the album, the effort, the revolution. It's a bonus that the album is fantastically good.

Added to that is the debacle surrounding Capitol v Thomas (formely Virgin v Thomas). Doesn't ring a bell? The copyright and file sharing case? USD 222,000 for sharing 24 files? Ringing bells now I hope. This all speaks of a change, a fairly imminent change I hope. There's alot of debate over things more than copyright now. For starters, the Recording Industry Association of America has stated that these cases are breaking even and a worthwhile venture, yet the artists (whose interests the RIAA is supposed to be protecting) are yet to see a single cent from all of this. There will be public concern.

So it's a wonderful thing for me, the avid music fan frustrated at the state of the recording industry, to hear the changes happening.

Lucky

So now I know how a wet rat feels. I'm not comparing lawyers to rats by any means, but it's the only image I could picture as we trudged around the sodden golf course. There were puddles in my shoes and I felt like I was wearing wet swimwear.

But the golf was good. I certainly enjoyed that aspect, though I'm not sure if everyone I played with did. The fact I was playing with the CEO and CFO only dawned on me the other day, then there was the added weight of knowing this game wouldn't even push my total number of golf rounds into double digits. A good time was had by all though, and we laughed our way round the course, everyone making some good shots, some bad ones, and some horrifying ones. My worst effort when driving went three feet in front of me. It was a good feeling to actually connect with the ball the next time.

The weather has continued with its drudgery, though it did manage to clear this morning. Well, clear enough for me to walk to the supermarket unimpeded by the rain. The wind was another matter. So I've been contained inside mostly. As have flatmates and their significant others. It's an interesting sensation to wake up early on the weekend to what you think is someone knocking on your bedroom door, only to realise that it's actually the frame shaking due to the intense rhythm from upstairs. Imagination no longer required, nor desired.

But to leave you all on a happier note, I give you the distinctly Wellington music stylings of Fly My Pretties in anticipation of Summer and finer weather.

Rhapsody on a Theme

So the weather gods have beaten me with the irony stick again. I go and spout off about the glorious, if not windy, Wellington spring weather and it turns to custard. Again. Though yesterday was nice and warm, today is monsoon season. Never ending rain without wind. Which is extremely odd for Wellington.

Hence my thinking the weather gods are mocking me. Plus, I've got golf on Friday. That's right I'm playing some Business Games Golf, it'll be my third game of golf. And the weather is inclement to put it nicely. Irony on a stick, being flaunted by the weatherman.

In other news I've managed to wingle my way in to a number of vital projects at work. None are billable, but it's the experience that really counts. Papers on various topics that affect the whole firm and will be seen and discussed by Partners. I seem to have a knack for getting those projects. The hopeful in me thinks it's because I continually produce an impressive, well argued opinion. The cynic in me thinks it's because I'm relatively cheap labour when it comes to legal opinions in the firm. Either way, it's invaluable experience and exposure.

Which brings me to an interesting point. In the course of researching for all of these projects I stumbled across the most intriguing website and series of blog posts putting everything I've thought about over the last year or so into written form.

No it's not specifically about moving to the US, it's all about opportunities shaping life and careers, what to skills to work on, and where to put those into practice. Though it's nothing I haven't already considered in some form or another, it's meaningful, for want of a better word, to see it all in one place and reinforced.

I really think Fate is having a quiet whisper in my ear. Which brings me back to ever continuing theme in my life - the right place, the right time.

The Force is Strong in This One

Well Yesterday was a stunning Spring day. It was typical Wellington spring weather with a gorgeous morning, dazzling sunlight and warmth.


The observant should be two steps ahead. And no, it's not that my feet are sunburnt. The spring winds swept up. Gale force strength and rising. It continued today. Excuse me, the wind continues today. Sadly not the sun. It is now cold. Again. Rattling windows, ravaged trees, scattered debris. Wellington has its wind back.

But yesterday was a pearler for the most part. I took the misfortune of broken internet at work as a sign that I shouldn't be inside on the weekend. I grasped that opportunity and walked round the waterfront and through Cuba Street. It's becoming almost a regular occurrence these fine weekends. Nothing wrong with that of course.

Speaking of opportunities, the process for admission to the Bar has begun, and my first round of documents are near completion. Soon enough I'll be wearing the wig and gown. The coveted attire of the profession. Somehow the images of Darth Vader emerging from a darkened room are a strong association with that.

Odd. I hope it's not a sign of things to come.

Oh, and I have two films to review for the Italian Film Festival - Romanzo di Crimine, and La Terra. Looks like fun.

Blue Orchid

Seeing as they were going relatively cheap through work, I decided to buy an orchid. Now, I'm not much of a green thumb, but orchids are pretty amazing plants and can be quite stunning. So it'll be worthwhile, at least I think so.

The greatest thing is that they're indoor plants. Well, in New Zealand at least. With our most bizarre turn of weather at the moment, it's a good thing. We've gone from gloriously warm and sunny days, to despicably cold with razor sharp frosty winds. You'd think we had receded back into the depths of Winter again. That's right, October is supposed to be Spring in New Zealand, but I think the weather gods forget about this little island sometimes.

Seeing as I'm a New Zealander, it's ubiquitous that I mention the Rugby World Cup. New Zealand plays France in the first quarter-final on Sunday at 8 am NZST (that's Saturday 12 pm PST, and 9 pm Saturday in Germany for the ardent fans). Pretty decent time really, so no excuse to miss it.

Through Someone's Eyes

It's always interesting looking at your home town from someone else's perspective. I suppose that's why I enjoy seeing people's photos while they've been here.

Sometimes it's just fun to browse through Flickr, plugging in a vareity tags and gawking at the photos it produces. Take this for example, "wellington" and "waterfront". Or there's "wellington" and "cuba", showing the interesting sides to the heart of the city, Cuba Street.

The only thing I need now is to be able to share all the brilliant Kiwi music. Or maybe I should leave you all to discover that one for yourself.