Line - the messaging app

Working in training and education, I see rampant mobile phone use at the most inappropriate times; the most favoured app for students to chat with during class is Line, the messaging app. I can't say I knew too much about it before except for seeing the logo and green coloured screen when I bust them using their phones.

So I decided to do so research into this app, what I do know now is that this is a pretty popular communication app, these young guys are on it all day and this chat seems to take priority over everything. Fail a class, no worries, chat comes first. I have heard from employers that they answer phone calls and messages during job interviews and during performance management sessions.

For this very reason, many companies have banned mobile phone use during work hours, some employers even go to the extreme of locking mobile phones in a safe box during the hours of work. Can you really blame employers? So I set about and downloaded myself an app as well, I can chat to people when required but I must admit, if I used this app once a month, that would be heavy usage for me. Needless to say, I won't be caught using this app when I should be working.

Andrew was right

I was miserable and I knew it, I had to get out of this job but the redundancy packages, redeployment and finally severance packages robbed me of opportunity as the state government finances collapsed as the mining construction boom derailed the state economy.

My toxic work environment formed a large portion of my personal stress; I hated my job and I knew there was only one option - get out of this place. I read Andrew's advice very carefully and I was determined to put it into action. I am aware I needed to leave, the problem was the individuals who were robbing me of opportunity by their corrupt practices were also exposing themselves to investigation.

Regardless, I believed in myself and I knew I needed to generate opportunities. First, I needed to pick up my certificate from Torrens University. I then needed to network at the awards ceremony when I flew to Adelaide and see what opportunities present themselves outside of the sphere of the Western Australian government.

Finally I needed to check international employment, I originally was employed in the construction and mining industries - I could capitalise on this experience. Yes, Andrew was right, there are opportunities that I need to pursue, I need to find happiness in my work and get out of my current corrupt employer.

Post MBA - where to from here?

So I'm done, whilst I haven't graduated yet, I need to reflect on what's next from here? The Western Australian economy is close to recession and has been in severe downturn since about 2014. The state government has the highest debt in history in both absolute dollar terms and in relation to economic output.

I want to stay employed in the public sector for at least the next couple of years, I have twelve years until I can access my retirement benefits and I have two years until I qualify for my second round of long service leave. In Australia, long service leave is twelve weeks paid leave after fifteen years service to a company. In order to attract high quality candidates, the state government cannot match private sector salaries so conditions of employment have to be competitive. Hence, state government employees qualify for long service leave after seven years of continuous service.

Another benefit of state government employment is the ability to take secondary employment part-time as long as it is authorised. The thinking is the public service wants to recruit staff from the private sector bring job-ready skills, extensive experience and contemporary knowledge to government departments. This allows individuals such as myself to generate a second income, maintain private sector skills and knowledge as well as gain experience in new areas.

As I'm in training and development I would prefer to remain in this field but there are not any current opportunities in the state government as the government has just announced another round of redundancies and plans to rationalise and amalgamate departments. Previously there was an official hiring freeze of six months plus unofficial pressure placed on department heads to not hire as a redundancy pool exists where displaced people sit in a recruitment pool. 

I have nothing to complain about, I have retained my employment and although I will not be receiving any pay increases for the next three years as the state government has capped salary increases. I just have to wait until next year until I get a clearer picture of where I am going, the rest of Australia is moving again, hopefully Western Australia has seen the worst of the downturn. 

The new world tour

As Paul McCartney prepares to return to Perth twenty four years after he kicked off his New World Tour at Subiaco Oval in 1993. I expected a fairly laid back acoustic show - boy was I in for a surprise.

Now, Sir Paul will return to Perth for an outdoor concert at NIB stadium on December 2. I'm really looking forward to this concert and I won't be reading any critic's reviews. The local newspaper, The West Australia wrote a stinging review that was received very poorly by anyone who was at the concert. The next day, my fellow concert goer friend and I were walking around with concert t-shirts and I was constantly asked if the concert was really that bad.

I couldn't believe it as it was a fantastic concert, there was so much going on with big screen monitors arranged around the stage, helicopters flying overhead, flame throwers and all matter of props. That surprised me, I was there for the music and Paul didn't disappoint - he was terrific. Based on what I saw at The New World Tour, I reckon his new tour One on One will be just as good.

Eating out in Hong Kong - Fisher & Farmer

Heading down to the Tsim Sha Tsui area of Kowloon, the interactive mobile phone that was offered by our hotel recommended the Fisher and Farmer restaurant. So off we went on a stunning Friday night in Hong Kong.

This was apparently one of the restaurants in Hong Kong to visit, arriving at 8 pm without a booking was always be troublesome and after waiting for an hour we were seated. There wasn't much of a wine list so the drinks were beer, so the choice was Corona. For the meal, we started with a dumplings as the entrée, the Peking duck was recommended but I can't say I was overly impressed and since desert wasn't on the cards, we left even without coffee.

I'm neither a Hong Kong local or Chinese resident so while I wasn't much impressed with the Peking duck, this reputation of this restaurant is highly rated and the Peking duck is a specialty. It is not difficult to work out the issue stems from my tastes and not their cooking, I wanted local food and not westernised food so in that respect, I got what I wanted and appreciate the meal for what it was. The acid test always is, would I go back and eat there again, the answer is a resounding yes.

A yes or no vote

A same sex marriage plebiscite has been called in Australia, we will now vote on a non-binding instrument to guide politicians on how to vote in parliament on the same sex marriage issue.

To be honest, I couldn't care less either way how the vote goes as it doesn't really affect me. But apparently, it isn't a vote, it is a survey and managed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and not the Australian Electoral Commission. I feel no real connection with the same sex marriage issue but I understand plenty of people feel strongly on the issue. What is ironic is that a civil union exists in Australia where same sex couples are considered in a de facto relationship have property rights just the same as heterosexual de facto relationships.

The brigade of campaigners for the yes vote have been very vocal on social media, when I say vocal, they abuse any person who argues the no vote. Whilst I don't really know the yes/no vote split, the vocal minority are possible attempting to shout down a silent majority. We saw with the US presidential election where Hillary Clinton was the unbackable favourite fall short in actual voting.

Now most of us don't understand the American electoral college voting system, it isn't a majority voting principal but regardless, the system was known before people voted. The fact is, regardless of the voting system, Clinton didn't win. The same could happen in Australia so I guess the yes camp is getting vocal despite the fact that it could be alienating people who are undecided.

Is this how the same sex marriage vote will go? I'm unsure, but the yes camp is aggressive, obnoxious and abusive. This alienates people, especially people who don't have strong views on the subject who could well be willing to vote no to shut the yes camp up. Naturally there is poor behaviour in the no camp as well although they appear to be somewhat subdued. Once the plebiscite has been counted, I just hope we are done with this and the public accepts the survey results either way.

Finally getting an iPhone

So I finally have an iPhone, not a new one but an old hand me down iPhone 4 and I am wondering what all the fuss was about. Yes, the iPhone 4 is small, easy to slip in a pocket and for me - easy to lose.

So I have an iPhone 4 and I do like it as my travel phone; my main mobile phone is an Android and since I am familiar with the Android operating system, that is my preferred operating system. I must admit, I do like the size of the iPhone 4 and since my eyes have been lasered I am able to read the screen now.

What irks me is the only software that runs on the device is Apple specific so I am unable to upload all the music loaded on my computer in MP3 format. What I like about Apple products is the battery life, they certainly out-perform my Samsung products. At this point the iPhone 4 remains my travel phone as I just purchase a sim card at every destination - I am enjoying my first foray into Apple products.