#1E. Uh oh....

With Christmas looming nearby, the work started pouring through the door.

I didn't have time to look up from my computer screen, let alone answer my calls.

So after working hard the whole week, I bolted out the door at 5.00pm on the dot come Friday. I needed a break from work. Plus, I was really looking forward to the weekend.

I went home to clean my apartment and then at 8.00pm, I picked up my friend, Vesna, from the airport. Ves and I headed out to the local pub for a drink. A couple of my work colleagues were also out, so Ves and I hung around them for a while before deciding to call it quits. Ves and I had planned for an early start for Saturday morning. You see, we were due to start our five hour "road trip" to the coast on Saturday, where we had booked to stay at a posh hotel for the weekend. I was really excited.

On Saturday, the five hour trip went without a hitch - although we did get a bit lost halfway to our destination. Nevertheless, we managed to arrive in one piece, and we booked into our hotel with the enthusiasm of a five-year-old on Christmas day.

Ves and I unpacked our things once we arrived in our room, and (of course) we checked out all the freebies in all the nooks and crannies of the hotel room. Bonus! - we found free cookies and a manicure kit. Did I mention I loved free?

We then went for a walk around the beach, and discovered a small agency that booked sailing tours of the nearby islands. Giggling with delight, Ves and I booked a sailing trip for the next day.

We woke up early (nearly ripping each other to bits when we couldn't agree who would take a shower first!), and waited outside the hotel reception for the courtesy bus to pick us up and take us to the tour boat. It wasn't long before Ves and I stepped onto the boat.

The vessel itself was quite large, and it comfortably accommodated 80 people. The crew allowed us to lay down on the front deck whilst waiting to arrive at our first exotic island destination. Not surprisingly, with the soothing lull of the boat engine and the wind on my cheeks, I quickly fell asleep.

When I woke up, I realized three things:

• The time was 11.45am - four hours after I had fallen asleep;
• I forgot to put on sunscreen; and
• My face felt funny.

I'd never been sunburnt before, so I didn't know the "funny feeling" that I was experiencing was actually the tingling sensation of sun-exposed skin.

Ignoring the new sensations, I was determined to enjoy the rest of the tour. We eventually arrived at the first island (twenty minutes after I woke up - that was a long trip!), where we were allowed to disembark the boat and take a short swim in the surrounding cool green waters of the stunningly-bleached-white sands of Whitehaven Island.

After about an hour or so, we were taken to a nearby island, where we were given the chance to go snorkelling. I must admit, at this point, that I'm not quite fond of swimming (weird, I know) but I had never been snorkelling before, so it was important that I give it a try. I hyper-ventilated for 15 minutes before I calmed myself down enough to enjoy the experience.

At the end of the day, Ves and I headed back to our hotel room to relax before getting ourselves some dinner. It was then that I first had a good look at my sunburnt face....

I had an awful sun-glasses tan. It was VERY obvious that I wore "shield" sunnies to cover my eyes (I say "shield" because they're quite large glasses). No make up could disguise the tan, and I was quite distraught.

When I went back to work, I invented new hairstyles to cover my face. My eyes were kept downcast, and I avoided speaking with anyone. I was sooo paranoid!

I just hoped the sunburn and tan would clear up in time for my interview.

Cross fingers.

#1D. And it's a date!

One of my colleagues went on holidays for a week, and her workload got dumped on me. Surprise, surprise.

My assistant then decided to take some "time off" during the same week, and even the office support staff were all suspiciously "sick" at the same time. Funny how an office of 40 people could dwindle to a skeletal 8 person-team.

On the verge of a screaming fit, DirectLink Recruitment Dan phoned me. He told me that the partners of the city firm were willing to meet with me on Saturday, the 2nd of December for a face-to-face interview.

FINALLY! Some good news!

Dan DID tell me that it was the firm's Christmas party on the 1st of December, and he warned me that the partners could be feeling the repercussions of the party while interviewing me.

Gee this firm sounded great already!!

After speaking with Dan, the hours flew by. Before I knew it, it was already five o'clock. Normally I would stay back to finish off any loose ends, but tonight was different - I had a social event to attend. Not only that, it was a free social event. Ahhh I love free...!

My current firm was trying to "schmooze" some commercial work from the local accountants down the road. The partners decided to hold a fancy drinks night (+ stylish nibblies) to "network" some connections with the accountants. The function was to be held at the balcony of our heritage-listed work building, with waitresses doing the rounds and offering delectable finger munchies from shiny silver trays.

I arranged to have my car left at home so I could drink "reasonable" amounts of free alcohol at the function.

I must say - "schmoozing" accountants for work wasn't as bad as I had imagined. The accountants knew the firm's ulterior motives, but I think they enjoyed being "schmoozed" - what with the free alcohol and all. Oh and don't forget the shiny silver trays full of yummies.

My friend and I got working on the alcohol. We made "power chandies" - a concoction of champagne and vodka cruisers - and once the two bottles of champagne ran out, we hit the vodka.

The firm's partners, commercial clerks and conveyancers were hitting the drinks quite hard too. Glad it wasn't just me and my mate.

One of our conveyancers obviously had too much to drink - she asked "Dull Fred" (a pet name for Freddie D, one of the most boring accountants on the planet) if he was coming out to the clubs after the function. Dull Fred (surprise, surprise) told drunk conveyancer that he wasn't going to go out, to which drunk conveyancer replied, "What are you going to do at home, Fred? Collect stamps?"

*Silence*.

You could hear the clocks ticking in the background, and the waitresses' steps on the balcony floor. An odd cough here and there.

*More silence*.

Then one of the other accountants started laughing. Loudly. And then everyone else (who held back their laughter) let loose. Poor Dull Fred. He couldn't help it if he was born boring.

The function ended at around 7.30pm, but I stayed back with a few other people to finish off the alcohol.

Then we all went out to the clubs for a bit. After about 20 minutes, I started feeling sick and dizzy, so I did the classic "Cinderella" exit and ran out of the club with my hands over my mouth. Luckily I got home before I made a mess of myself.

Kneeling by the bathroom sink, I suddenly remembered why I stopped drinking hard in the first place.

Note to self: Power Chandies are not my friend.

#1C. And the phone rings...

In the middle of my most busiest day, DirectLink Recruitment Dan called me.

"Tia, I just wanted to let you know that I spoke to Michael this morning. He was wondering when you'd be available to come to the city so that all the partners of the firm can meet you."

I had two settlements to worry about, plus I had clients waiting in reception for me. Agggh! I didn't have time...

"Hey Dan. Ummm I'm really sorry but I'm kind of tied up at the moment. Is it ok if I call you back in about 20 minutes?"

I shuffled through papers. What was the reason for the clients coming into the office again? Yikes! Think, Tia, think!

"Sure Tia. Do you need to write my number down?"

Oh that's right! The clients needed to update their Wills!

"Errm. No it's ok. I've got it on my cell - on speed dial, actually."

Yikes, did I really say that? He didn't need to know that....! Think before you speak!

"Ok no worries. I'll wait to hear from you then."

The afternoon dragged on.

I saw my clients about updating their Wills. Small chit chat. Then I walked them outside to reception. Lo and behold, another two clients were waiting in reception for me - they were "just in the neighbourhood" and decided to "drop by" to see how their matter was progressing.

Nobody makes appointments anymore *sigh*.

Two hours and sixteen minutes (and several "urgent" phone calls) later, I finally had the time to breathe.

I dialled Dan's number.

"Hey Dan, it's Tia. Sorry it took me a while to return your call. I can only go to the city on a weekend - I can't take any time off at the moment because of my workload. So unless the partners want to get together on the weekend..."

I let my voice trail off. Oh please, please, please let them meet me on a weekend! I didn't want to have to ask for time off.

"The partners are quite prepared to meet you on a weekend, Tia. If you can tell me which weekend you'd be available, I can arrange the rest."

NO #$%*@#+ WAY!!

Sound professional, now. Don't act like you're excited.

"I could probably make it on the 1st of next month. But it would depend on the flight availability, etc."

OooOo. Playing hard to get... of sorts.

"Alright. Well, I'll let the partners know. Can you call me tomorrow to confirm?"

Doing a mini-victory dance. Yup uh huh.

"Definitely. I'll talk to you tomorrow then. Thanks for your call, Dan."

I couldn't stop smiling for the rest of the day.

Should I start looking at flight prices?

Hmmm. Maybe after I finished my victory dance.

#1B. Could this be it?

At 12.35pm on Friday, my cell rang.

"Hello Tia. This is Michael Carson. I am calling to conduct a telephone interview for the position of Junior Commercial Lawyer that was advertised with DirectLink Recruitment. Do you have maybe 20 minutes to spare?"

Hmm he sounded young and cute. (Is it possible to judge a guy by their voice?).

Ok get back on track, Tia. Twenty minutes? Well, I had until 1.00pm til my lunch break finished. Twenty minutes should cut it.

After all, I had been waiting for Michael's phone call all day - I'd been "prepping" my answers to his imaginary questions all morning.

"Hi Michael, nice to hear from you. Twenty minutes is fine."

Wow I sounded so professional. *Inner giggle*.

"Well, first things first. I would like to tell you a little bit about this firm, my role here, and why we're seeking to recruit...."

Michael told me he was a partner at a boutique firm on the city fringe. The firm specialised in commercial transactions, as well as having a strong litigation department. Because of the great property boom, the firm was experiencing a lack of staff to meet the needs of their commercial clients. Michael said they were also looking to expand in environmental law (a great thing for me, because I've always wanted to practice in that area), to make their practice more diversified.

"So basically, we're really hoping to find someone to work closely with me in the commercial department. We've got a very low turnover, and the workplace environment is quite laid back. We encourage a work-life balance, because we understand that young lawyers, like yourself, need "me" time..."

Geez, he's got me sold.

Michael kept talking for a few more minutes before he said, "Now I'll turn the attention to you. I see from your curriculum vitae that you've got some experience in commercial and succession law..."

Here we go, Tia. Summon all your "prepped" answers for the ready.

"Do you have much client contact in relation to the files that you run?"

Oooh I hadn't expected this question.

"Yes. I have 100% client contact with all my files. The partners at work encourage client contact - a notion that I absolutely agree with - since it "personalises" the matter and gives me a chance to understand the clients that I work for."

*Inner giggle*. Not bad, not bad.

"That's fantastic. We also encourage as much client contact as possible. Now, in terms of client management, how would you approach an irate client?"

Yikes. If I told the truth, he'd laugh at me. I've had to deal with a few irate clients. It's not the best thing to look forward to, really.

I chose to respond with the "theoritical" answer: "I would ask what made the client irate in the first place (if the client hadn't told me already) and then suggest solutions to his/ her problem."

Pffft. Sounded great in theory. Quite a different story when you have a client shouting at you over the phone and telling you how "incompetent" you are - even when the problem arose because of the client's incompetence. It's also almost impossible to calm a client down when they're emotional. Although, you do get the occassional nice client who sends you wine or flowers for all the hard work that you've done. It's only because of those clients that I hang on to my job. Otherwise, I would've quit a long time ago. Ahhh the joys of client interaction.

"I see. That's a great approach."

Michael reallyyyy sounded nice. Hmmm.

"And how often do you come to the city, Tia? Once a month? Once every two months?"

Oh. Wonder why he's asking?

"Well I usually come to the city once every month to visit my family. But I only spend the weekend - well, because of work...you know how it is."

"Yeah, I know how it is. Well, if we decide to take you on board, would you like to catch up with me and the other partners one weekend that you're in the city, so we can get to know you?"

Gee, how do you take that?!

"Sure. That'd be great."

Michael then told me he'd speak with DirectLink Recruitment Dan about my application, and that "we'd go from there".

Fingers crossed. I guess I'll be waiting by my cell phone again...

#1A. Still looking for a job

After a rather satisfying lunch, I walked into my office to check my e-mails.

I was hoping to receive an e-mail from the job-seeking site that I subscribed to - it alerted me every time a new job position was listed on its website. I hoped that I'd finally find another job to apply for.

Not only did I receive a job-seeker e-mail, but I also got one from DirectLink Recruitment Dan:

"Dear Tia,

Thanks for taking the time to speak to me last week regarding your application. I have some great news for you - I have spoken to the partners of the firm that you applied for, and they are keen to set up a phone interview as soon as possible. Let me know when you'd be available to have the interview.

Cheers,

Dan."

It seems that Dan didn't forget me, after all.

I picked up the (work) phone and called Dan.

"Hello DirectLink Recruitment, this is Stacy. How can I help you?"

My mind went blank.

"Uhhh yes. My name is Tia and I would like to speak with Dan please."

"Oh I'm sorry but Dan is away on lunch. He shouldn't be much longer. Who am I speaking with please? Can I leave a message for him to return your call?"

Geez! Dan's away on lunch? It's 2.17pm! Surely he didn't take that long to eat?

I left my contact details and waited anxiously by my phone all afternoon.

3.00pm.

....

.....

4.00pm.

....

.....

4.30pm.

....

.....

Finally at 4.48pm, my phone rang.

"Hey Tia. It's Dan."

About time! Only 2 hours later!!

We arranged to have a phone interview the next day, with 2 of the firm's partners.

I went home on a high. I even bought myself take-away for dinner. oOooOo definitely a time to celebrate.

I knew I was getting ahead of myself - after all, it was only an interview. But it was one step closer to coming home.

#1. Looking for a new job

After scouring job ads for several hours, I saw this:

"Seeking a talented and dynamic professional to join our high-calibre team".

Well I think I'm talented.

I can iron a basket of clothes in under 29 minutes. I can also sing karaoke while painting my nails and listening to my friend rattling on about the most recent episode of the "OC". Plus I can text message with one hand and draw stick figures with the other. If that's not talent, I don't know what is.

I also think I'm dynamic. I can get pretty animated when somebody tailgates me on the highway - when this happens, my vocabulary suddenly expands to include words that should only be uttered by a seasoned sailor riding a ship in the midst of a typhoon. My left foot suddenly feels like a deadweight, and the brake pedal seems like the perfect permanent resting place for it. My hands take on a mind of their own as they beep the car horn repeatedly. Exaggeration? Best not tailgate me to find out.

So yes, I have my dynamic moments.

And I suppose I could look "professional" if need be - I do have a short black skirt in my wardrobe somewhere.

With all this in mind, I applied for the job and hoped that I would receive a response. (An odd statement, you say? Well when I first started looking for work after I graduated from uni, I only received 3 responses to my 37 applications. Only one response was positive.)

At exactly 7.45am the next day, my cell phone rang.

• Point 1 - My friends and family never call my cell phone unless it's an emergency (ie, unless there's juicy gossip going around the "grapevine"); and
• Point 2 - My friends and family know better than to call me before 11.00am.

Half asleep but piqued with curiosity, I answered the phone.

"Hi this is Dan from DirectLink Recruitment. I'm calling about your application that was submitted yesterday. Do you have a few minutes to spare while I go through your application?"

Brain fuddle. What's going on? Could this be a phone interview? At 7.45 in the morning?!

"Uh Sure." By this time, I was wide awake and freaking out because I realized that I needed to take a shower, brush my teeth and eat my 2 slices of toast - all within the space of 15 minutes. Damn, I hate starting work at 8.15.

I ran downstairs to toast the bread.

"Now, you've stated that you live 7 hours away from the main city. What is your motivation for wanting to leave your current employment? I take it you're looking to move to the city?"

*Pant*. Reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Um yes. I'd lived in the city all my life until about a year ago. I moved away for uhh.. personal reasons. And because I got a job here."

Bread in the toaster.

Ran upstairs to the bathroom for my shower. Ok, might have to skip the shower part. And the teeth-brushing part. Yikes.

"I see. And what type of work environment are you looking for? I have a great firm that is looking for someone like you. Your CV is quite impressive."

By this time, I'd put Dan from DirectLink Recruitment on speaker-phone. Ah the joys of technology.

"I just want to work for a boss who will mentor and guide me. I am a person who wants to learn new things every day."

Oooh. Not too bad of an answer at 7.51 in the morning.

Getting dressed into my work gear.

*Pant*

"I see. And what do you think you can contribute to the firm if the firm employed you?"

Oh geez. Did I have to think about that at 8.01am?

Crud. My toast was burning. Damn cheap toasters.

"Well, I know my weaknesses. I am able to determine my limits and exceed them, if need be."

Did that even answer his question? Doesn't matter, I needed to eat my toast.

"Is that all? You have no other personal strengths?"

What did he just say? I didn't hear it. Gee, the paint on the wall was peeling. Never noticed it until now.

"Ok. Well, what are your weaknesses?"

Too many. Guys with brown eyes. The Simpsons. Karaoke machines.

"Uhh." *munch* "I don't like to think that I'm wrong. Oh and chocolate is my major weakness."

Wow, did I really say that? A light-hearted joke gone wrong. What did he expect, anyway? It's 8.11am!

*Munch*

"I see. Well thanks for your time. I will contact you in the near future if your application is successful."

I guess that was a nice way of telling me that I buggered up the interview.

Oh well - there's always tomorrow.

I was more worried about getting to work on time. Damn early phone interviews.

The Grand Plan

"Mom, I'm moving back home."

My statement was met with silence. It was several seconds later before my mom replied "Oh I see. Why don't you stay where you are for a bit longer?"

Uhhhh ok. Not exactly the reaction I was looking for. In my mind, I imagined my mom and dad crying with relief, to know that their youngest daughter would be coming home to the family nest. Just a tad bit different to reality. Just a tad.

"No mom, I really want to move back home. I miss you guys."

Silence again.

"Mom? Are you there?"

Muffled noises. Then "Oh ok dear. We miss you too."

Again, not quite the warm reception I had hoped for.

Oh well. My mind was made up - I was going to move back home. I just needed a plan to make it all work.

When I first moved out of home, it was all pretty simple - I had no significant personal ties, no bills of my own to worry about, no job (why did I move out again??!).

Now, I have a fixted-term tenancy agreement for my apartment, a job, bills to pay. I needed to work out how to re-direct my current mailing address so that I could still receive my monthly (and tearfully boring) insurance magazines.

Most importantly, I had to figure out how to bring all my stuff back to my mom & dad's house.

At this point, I would like to mention that my apartment could be best described as an "empire of non-practical things". Not that I collected junk. I just had a lot of useless things.

I lived several hours away from my folks. So even with my moderately-sized four-wheel-drive, I wouldn't be able to see through the rear window if I crammed all my belongings into my car.

So the need for a Grand Plan was absolutely necessary.

After much deliberation, I concluded that my plan of action should be:

1. Look for a new job;

2. Secure a new job;

3. Quit my current job;

4. Call mum & dad to warn them that I'd be home soon;

5. Re-direct my mail;

6. Cancel telephone, electricity, contents insurance;

7. Terminate tenancy agreement;

8. Call mum & dad to warn them that I'd be home soon;

9. Pack for 3 consecutive weeks;

10. Ask an understanding friend and/or relative if I can borrow their car;

11. Ask a willing and gullible buddy to help me pack my stuff into two cars;

12. Call mum & dad to warn them that I'd be home soon;

13. Beg a friend and/ or relative to make the 7-hour journey to my parents' house by driving a car full of my stuff; and

14. Be really nice to my willing and gullible friend/ understanding and naive relative for 2 weeks.

Sounds simple enough, right?

I just needed to kick-start the Grand Plan by tackling #1 on the list - looking for a new job.

Humble Beginnings

I moved away from home a few months ago.

It was a major thing for me.

You see, I had lived with my parents all my life. I never knew a day when my mom or dad wouldn't ask me where I was going, and when I was coming home. It didn't bother me......until, of course, I turned 18.

I had a loose curfew until 12.00am at the age of 20. I say "loose" because my parents told me to be home by 12. I never did come home on time, though. Usually, I would be several hours late. Several hours. Maybe a day or two. I lost count after midnight.

Don't get me wrong - my parents are fantastic. They are two of the most loving, caring and understanding people in my world. I love them to bits. But I needed to spread my wings. And it bothered me a little bit that they were keeping tabs on my whereabouts.

So at the ripe old age of 22 and after graduating from university, I secured a job several hours away from home. At the same time, I bought my first car. (I had been catching public transport for as long as I could remember - I used to drive my parents' car once in a while, but I had never owned a functioning motor vehicle before).

It really looked like everything was set for me to commence my new life.

So I said a teary goodbye to my old life, and embarked on the journey that is now my "independent" life.

I cherished the first few months of living alone - it was a simple decision not to have roommates/ flatmates/ apartment buddies living with me because I really didn't know how well I would react with strangers sharing my toiletries/ clothes/ food.

I felt totally free and "grown-up" - I washed the dishes whenever I wanted, I ate whatever I liked, and best of all, I could come home smelling of alcohol and cigarettes without getting the third degree. I had no curfew. Life was sweet.

However, after a few months, the exhiliration of being "independent" slowly started wearing out.

Shopping for food and household necessities became a tedious chore. Vacuuming, sweeping, washing the dishes, ironing. Replacing lightbulbs. Unblocking the toilet/ shower/ sink. Getting rid of spiders/ cockroaches/ ants.

And then there were the bills.

Despite having the luxury of complete monopoly over my toiletries/ clothes/ food, and having the privacy to sleep with pyjamas that had seen better days, my decision to live alone came with its own unique (?) price - I didn't have much money to spare. After paying the necessary bills every week (including rent), there wasn't much left over for me to enjoy my newfound freedom.

So even though I could (theoretically) go out every night with no curfew to think about, I couldn't afford to.

On top of that, I actually missed my parents keeping tabs on me. I missed my sister calling me weird names. I missed chatting to my mom and sister about girly stuff. I missed having a curfew (and then breaking it!).

I missed home.