Entries Tagged 'Random thoughts' ↓

I know I’ve got to stop going on about the heat, and obviously it’s going to be a shock to go from 38 degrees to 7 degrees when we get back to Wellington, but there are strange things to experience when it’s hot that I hadn’t noticed before – things other than the most weird prickling sensation coming from the roots of your hair when every pore in your body is trying to get cool:

• When you first get outside from being in the air-conditioning you feel like you are walking in a warm bath if you have shorts on (yes, talking about me here) – the heat is so enveloping and so hot it feels just like water
• The floor in the apartment is almost hot, like underfloor heating has been left on high and it doesn’t cool down, not even by 4am
• The metal bars on the subway entry carousels are very hot to touch
• Liquid that comes out of pump-pots, hand soap, moisturiser and the like is warm
• Glasses and plates from the closed cupboards are warm
• Potato chips are warm
• Window glass is almost hot
• I now have a new appreciation for labels on bottles and packets that say “store below 30 degrees C” – I always used to think that was some kind of warning to not keep the item in the oven for some dope that might, but I know now that ordinary cupboards in ordinary houses can actually become like ovens in some climates!

Boy I am sick of looking at my greasy face in the mirror, pores wide open gasping for air so from that point of view, winter will be welcomed.

When I get up to pee in the night this is what I get to look at. Pretty amazing and will certainly be missed!

I don’t have much use for nail polish remover so when I needed a little bit I was very happy to find this little sachet version of some – great to have in the cupboard or travel with. Wonder if you can get such a think in New Zealand?

Cafes and espresso bars in New York (& other parts of the States we’ve been) all have these coffee stations:

They’re a bit Starbucksesque but very efficient. This one at Saturdays Surf is pretty trendy done in wood like their furniture and with their skateboards all parked up as the station is fairly close to the door.

Typically, coffee stations have:

• 3 jugs milk – full fat, half fat, skim
• Bottle with pouring nozzle – contains sugar syrup
• Honey – as an alternative source of sweet I guess
• Napkins
• Lids – for every size cup
• Cardboard cup holders – for when cup is too hot to hold (technically not necessary but are required for drinkers of black or ‘regular’ coffee (i.e. drip filter)), for every size cup
• Sugar sachets – usually white, brown & sweetener
• Stirring sticks
• Straws – for iced coffees

As we enter the milestone of less than 6 weeks until we have to leave New York and resume our lives in Wellington I’m trying to think of things I’ve missed in the vein hope that it will give me something to look forward to. There’s no way I’m going to think of things I won’t miss from here! People at home are now starting to enquire whether or not we’re looking forward to coming back and are saying they’re looking forward to seeing us. However, we’re not looking forward to going back and when we say we’re not pleased to be back, don’t take it personally!

Planes make me think. I guess you’re always going some place new or some place old that can make you look forward to new things or think about old things you want to leave behind, in either case, you’re going somewhere.

I’ve been thinking a lot about working remotely, in a different geographical location and timezone from the main office, and after weeks of this filling space in my head I’m going to attempt to get some of it out – after all that’s what I started my blog for even though since we’ve been away it’s become a glorified travel diary. Time for it to return to its routes as an outlet and store of my random thoughts! However I have to be careful this doesn’t cross a line – in this age of social media and people being fired for airing their grievances online and acting in a way out of line in the eyes of the company I will likely have to watch what I say, which kind of defeats the point of a personal blog! I don’t hate my job and this isn’t a precursor to any major decisions, just supposed to be random stuff about working remotely!

So why is this topic filling my head? I don’t think it’s one thing, I think it’s a collection of little things. I think if I was to pick one thing, or have one thing to sum it all up, it’s that change thing. I thought that being out of the office would open up a new way of working for me, give me some new and different things to do, stimulate new thoughts or ideas and above all, give me some freedom to change bad work habits for ones I actually want. However, due to my own need for routine, the office not really being set up for remote workers and the new way of communication that’s required for remote working, I’ve been unable to bring about new work habits.

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Along with other American mysteries like scalding hot milk in coffee, high tide-line in the toilets and deciduous trees, what is this little orange marker light on top of streetlights?

My theory is that it can’t be for low-flying aircraft, in manner of plastic containers strung on a wire across valleys in the New Zealand countryside, and can’t be to mark the road in snow drifts, because that would be a hellava lot of snow, so it must be to guide our flying/leaping super heroes – saves Batman, Spiderman, Ironman and friends from crashing into buildings when they’re speeding through the city!

I can now find my way to work without hesitating on the corner and wondering which way to go, or forgetting which subway exit is the one that gets us out on the right corner so that we don’t have to cross the street.

Off we go along our block, past some toy dogs and their owners from our apartment building out for an early morning pee, past the garden where we’ve seen the tulips grow an inch or so every day from a little tip in the soil to a fully fledged yellow tulip garden, under the construction site where the footpath is totally boarded up (and painted orange) and down into the subway. Don’t use the right-hand turnstile as it’s a bit sluggish with the cards, not me, I’m beyond the tourist too-slow/too-fast swipe and out onto the platform. God I love the smell and rush of the trains. If we’re lucky we’ll have timed it right to be waiting when 2 express trains roar through the middle tracks and if really lucky ours will scream onto the platform at the same time. I love getting lost in the sound – voice and thoughts completely lost for a moment as my head is filled with clanging, whooshing, squealing metal (OK, better stop now, making me sound like a petrol head …). Push and shove onto the train and if there’s a seat, I’ll perch on the edge so that me and my laptop don’t squash my sandwich and apple – 14th Street the train really empties out and I know where to stand in preparation for the doors opening on the other side of the train for that station only on our journey. Then out at the other end – keep right with the crowd pushing up the steps and it’s a real art to take part in the almost choreographed explosion of colour going up the steps if it’s raining as everyone pops their umbrellas one after another on the packed subway stairs. Along Canal Street weaving through the store owners unloading sparkly wares to cram into their stalls, around the corner dodging the lady who catches your eye and mutters in hushed tones “Fendi bag. Gucci Prada Fendi”, past the 2 abandoned bike frames locked to a sign post and across Broadway stepping over the pothole that is getting bigger and bigger everyday. And just when I can’t be bothered carrying my laptop and lunch on my back any longer it’s up the stairs and into the office.

I’ve thought of a couple of things people could invent lately. Well, I’ve invented them, just need someone to make them so I can get rich! So, 2 excellent ideas:

1. Walking to work we followed a guy from our building, 2.5 blocks to the subway and he spent the entire time walking in front of us trying to untangle his iPod earphones. In the end he gave up and listened to the city instead. Need some kind of silicon no-stick spray to spray on them to untangle them or the little fabric bag they’re kept in needs some magical insides with the same properties.
2. Got to work and folks in the office were gushing over the iPad … of course The Mister chimed in. They showed us some of their sites made for mobile devices working on the iPad – including a site that shows video demonstrations of meals being made. So you just prop your iPad up in the kitchen and follow along, pausing the video to do your bit. Enter my invention: little rubber or flesh-like-fabric caps to put on the end of various cooking utensils so you can tap the screen to pause and resume the video! Saves you having to wash your hands or get flour or wet all over it.

So let me know if you get these to market and I’ll take some royalties

Sometimes I’m left gaping at the inefficiencies of some organisations here. Sure, there’s often 3 or 4 people employed to do the job that 1 person would do in New Zealand which does speed things up and get big crowds moving, but other times the introduction of self-help for the customer would make certain activities much less painful.

The post office.

I went last week to post a small packet back to New Zealand. They had a single range of post office standard packing available, pre-paid bags. All good. Nice and simple. Weight limit of x pounds, whatever fits in the box/envelope, priority mail, domestic or international, $13.45.

So, first off, before standing in the long line, I had to find out the weight of my item, which I could guess in grams but no idea in pounds – found a weighing machine which turned out not to be a weighing machine but an enter-your-postcode-and-it’ll-tell-you-the-postage-required machine. Hmmm, not sure what was supposed to be entered for international although it did flash up 2.95lb which was under the limit, so I figured I’d be OK.

Filled out the customs form, including name of the person the package was going to – this seemed to be the thing to do seeing as the green customs forms (demanding To and From addresses) were there by the packaging. Waited in the line.

Got to the counter and asked if I could use the pre-paid envelope to post the item to New Zealand. “What is it?” A gift, just a [   ]. That I want to go via airmail to New Zealand. “No. You can’t use this one. You have to use a bag. You want priority or express?” Huh? Why can’t I use the international pre-paid envelope? What’s the difference between priority and express? Where are the bags? “Hrumfff, I’ll get you a bag.” And off she heaved under the counter to scratch around and find a bag. Why weren’t they on display? Thieves? She produced a bag. About the same size as the envelope, made with similar thick glossy paper as the envelope. “You want express or priority?” I don’t know! I want airmail. “OK, that’s $12.95 and write the address on it, it doesn’t go on that form you got, that bit gets chucked out, and when you’re done leave it here cos I’m on my lunch break now.” However, I was able to write fast enough while she got back up onto her seat and dealt with the money to had it back to her to make sure it did in fact get posted. She dumped the package to the side of the counter with a bunch of other mail ready to go and we scuttled apologetically out passed the even longer line now facing one less counter because our lady was going on her lunch. I felt so bad taking up their time at the counter waiting for a bag and then being told to pack it and address it. If they just provided these things out on the customer side then I could’ve done it there. Groan.

So, if your birthday is coming up on the 12th (you know who you are) there is hopefully something on the way – I hope it makes it – it could be coming on the USS Slowboat for all I know! I tried!