My Sweet Surrender

Currently Listening To // Get Busy // Sean Paul

Waking up this morning, I got out of bed and slowly made my way to the breakfast table. Rubbing my eyes, my focus settled on the big white box with the green dots on it, and at that moment I knew last night was no dream.

I'd finally made the pilgramage.

After dinner with friends last night, I threw out the idea of driving to Penrith to get donuts. Penrith?? While not nearly a Mecca by any stretch of anyone's imagination, it just seemed like the right thing to do. Now for those who don't know, (and I don't blame you 'cause I didn't), Penrith is at least a good 30 minute drive from the city, and that's if you decided to not break any speed laws. But with an RTA employee in our convey of 10 donut hungry Penrith tourists, we were in safe hands.

So after some minor resistance, we hopped in our cars and schwerved lanes like we were in Mo' Fast Mo' Furious down the M4 Highway towards our destination: Australia's first Krispy Kreme outlet.

There's something about flying down the highway at night that makes me feel so free; combined with our childish enthusiasm about this mini road trip, you can imagine our excitement when we saw the bright lights of the 24 hour drive thru and the long line stretching out the door of the store! Like kids outside a candy store, we couldn't wait to get inside from the freezing cold, sample some free donuts and watch how sweet dreams became sticky realities.

While the rest of the night was a bit of a blur in all our selective memories, I could see why people have driven from interstate just to sample a taste. I'm not sure if it was the bright lights, the sugar induced rushes or the sense of achievement of doing something totally out of character, but everyone in the store (not just us) seemed happy and full of cheer, like nothing else in the world mattered except their boxes of a dozen donuts. Sweet ignorance? Perhaps...

It's ironic that something so simple can bring so much joy to so many, while it takes $46 million to sate the appetites of others. Perhaps they should toy with the idea of opening some stores in the Middle East. I can see the T-Shirt slogans now:

For the anti-war movement - "KK's not AK's"

For the local KK employee - "We knead dough, not war"

And for an edgier fashion statement - "FCUK @ KK"

So...Halal and Kosher donuts anyone?

Guess Who's Back?

Currently Listening To // Guess Who's Back? // Rakim

After a long delay, I finally bit the bullet, dropped that cash and drove to pick up some parts and build something with blazing performance. So now no more modem issues, no more missing files, no more problems. Big thanks to Dom for building this bad boy for me.

I felt like writing yesterday, but...nope, not right now. Going to just chill out, listen to some music and try to gather some thoughts before I go to watch another quality non-Fox production. I need to unwind after my first not-so-good day at work. Although I'm trying to be optimistic, I'm hoping there won't be too many more this week.

Anywho's, I'm off to bed. Work at 8:30...late start tomorrow *grin*

Brighter Day

Currently Listening To // Why Georgia // John Mayer

I can’t believe I’m doing this...by the time you read this, this will be an “old” blog. That is, I’ve probably written this at least a few days ago, but for the fact that my computer is just not working, I can’t even blog this. Did that make any sense?

I didn’t think so.

So here I am, using a word processor to blog about my own thoughts. Kinda “Doogie Howser’-esque right? Not really. Why? Because Doogie Howser never knew about the Internet.

It’s only been a few days, but since starting my new job, I have no regular computer contact, let alone regular office hours. Which means I’m having to use my home PC for all my net needs, but since something is conspiring against me, my PC just won’t do as it’s told. Just ask Larissa. That being said, the problem will hopefully be fixed by this weekend. In the meantime, I’m dying here.

So back to the matter of my new job; after last weeks conference at Wiseman’s Ferry (where I was one of the youngest and surrounded by women older than my mother who smoked and drank more than most of my friends), this is my first week on the job for real with Unilever. How do I feel? I feel great about it. I’m loving the work, despite the irregular hours and early starts and all. But the best part of it? I get my own company car.

Sure it’s a lounge on wheels, it’s bright red, and parking is similar to trying to park a semi-trailer. But it goes (very) fast, has a CD player, and I don’t pay a cent to maintain or upkeep it; if I wanted to drive out to Penrith and back, I could (and have). There’s no sweeter feeling than cruising down the M4 Highway, the CD player on loud and the wind in my face. It makes me feel so free, so very free…

So what is it I do you ask? Well, I could give you the six page official job description, but let’s start with the title; for at least the next six to twelve months, I’m a Customer Representative. After that, I’ll hopefully move back to head office and become a cubicalised desk jockey again.

Yeah, but what do you DO?

My job is to learn about and grow the business. I ensure our products are where they should be, with as many facings (spaces) on the shelves as possible, so people will see them and (hopefully) buy them. The more products are sold, the more orders for our products, and the more NPS we make. That’s Net Profit from Sales, for those who were wondering (as opposed to “Never Pay for Sex”, as clarified early on during my first day). Growing the business is about gaining a greater NPS.

If there’s an opportunity, my job it to take it. If there is a complaint, my job is fix it. If there is a product to be pushed, then I’m your pusher man. My office is your Woolworths, Franklins, Coles and IGA Supermarkets.

In short, I sell goods for a living.

Fast moving consumer goods.

And right now, I’m loving it.

Universal Laws

Currently Listening To // Cry Me A River // Justin Timberlake

Before I get into anything, let me give a big shout out and thanks to all those people who sent me good wishes via email, sms and phone calls on Tuesday. I was away at a corporate retreat on Monday and Tuesday where I had no reception, and driving back into Optus-land, I recieved a flood of sms messages...I've never felt more so special! *grins* I know I know...but it's the little things that count.

Having some time to myself lately, I've been doing a lot of thinking and reflecting...

"There's a universal law, and that is this when one part of your life is going well, another part of it comes crashing down in spectacular fashion." Take this, and combine it with another of my favourite quotes; "Everything that happens once can never happen again. But everything that happens twice will surely happen a third time."

I'm so, so tired. I'm tired mentally, physically, and emotionally. And I've had enough of it. To be honest, I feel used, abused and confused. I should know better...that should be a mantra of mine. You should know better Ben, you should know better Ben, you should know better...

Cryptic? Yes, I know.

But I'm tired...

Who's Ready To Party?!?!

Currently Listening To // I Do (Part 2) // Toya feat. Murphy Lee

Once again, my birthday has rolled around again, and in the fashion of last year's celebration, I'm having a big party with my friends Kevin and Dre to celebrate another year. Called The Nunnery, it'll be awnn for religious and heathen alike!

The details come in two formats. Here is Ben's radio edit, designed for those who want that quick fix.

Date: 12th July

Venue: Lvl 1, Republic Bar (Crn Pitt & Bridge St, Sydney)

Time: 10pm - late

Dress: to get your groove on, off and anywhere you want

Cost: $0..seriously, it's free to get in :)

And now, for those who want Andre's extended underground remix, here is it...


** VENUE CHANGE VENUE CHANGE **

Because the bright lads at Coronation Hotel double booked us, we decided to relocate the convent. The new party location will be at...


Where: Republic Bar, Level 1, (corner of Pitt and Bridge Streets, Sydney)

Time: 12 of July (saturday), at 10pm til late

Cost: once again, it is still FREE. so if you got a fifty cent coin throw your hands up, you got a twenty cent coin throw your hands up.....


To celebrate the birthdays of Ben 'lick it don't' Chew, Kevin 'it's awwnnn' Chung and Andre 'fo' shizzle' Casaclang, we invite you to the most amazing birthday extravaganza ever put on in Australia's Asian Australian history. No seriously. Named in reference to a term coined by Ben Chew ('I'm getting nones, its a nunnery up in here'), The Nunnery will rock your collective worlds like they have been rocked before, but more so.

DJ Bio's:

*EARTHBROWNKID* (urban and south east asian breaks)

Formerly known as SHITBROWNKID, and DJ SVO (strictly vinyl only). Mr. Earthbrown once roamed the earth gathering philosophies, spreading the good word of communism across the planet. After influencing a very young Mao Tse Tung, and a giving a young cuban by the name of Fidel a direction in life, he decided that communism was not the go for him as it began to 'cramp his style.' Disillusioned, he began working as a Bollywood pornstar, but left after a ten year stint because combining sex and dance routines was becoming too difficult a task. There he met up with MC Punjabi and started making really bad music. His album 'Eye of the Tamil Tiger' was a critical failure but a commercial success. Soon after he became involved with militant fundamentalists and began making tracks like 'George Bush can stick it in his Bush' - 1991 (& later a remix, 'George W Bush can stick it in his Bush' - 2001) before realising that the militiant group he was involved with had no real fundementals, they just liked to wear berets. Disillusioned again, (and running away from a hefty drug possession charge) Earthbrown came to Australia to become a DJ and now plays funky urban and south east asian breaks for all of your enjoyment.


*DJ HYPER* (R'n'B and hip hop supremo)

Once a good friend of MC Hammer, DJ HYPER formerly as DJ UNINTERESTED before his addiction to speed, once worked as a professional swimsuit model, gracing the cover of 'Sports Illustrated', 'Ralph' and 'Hey Look At My Boobies Magazine.' After deciding that he wanted to prove to the world that there was more to him then just his hot body, he began a crusade to make young people aware of Sexually Transmitted Diseases that didn't kill you. After contracting Thrush in a heavily publicised scandal involving two prostitutes, a midget and a chicken, he went underground, looking for a cure to his itchiness. While wearing vinyl pants one day he began scratching himself and was suprised to hear some interesting sounds. After researching scratching and vinyl he became heavily interested in the art of the DJ, but realsing that a lot of DJ's can't paint, he decided to learn how to use turntables instead. Now after playing at such world class venues as 'Sharkies' and 'Triple 8 Club' Hyper is one of Sydneys premier R'n'B DJ's, bringing the funk wherever he goes.

So come one, come all bring friends. It should be one mothertheresa of an experience...