The Scrawlings of Marshwah

On Holiday - Be Back Soon

2012-01-25T08:48:00.002+08:00

Melbourne, home of the cultured Australian, the tennis (I think I'm getting behind Andy Murray for the Australian Open title), and temporarily - me.

I'm here for a mate's wedding and have been doing the rounds. In lieu of my promised blog overhaul, I'm going to regale you with things I've learned since returning to my homeland.

Facebook is a Complicated Whore
It's pretty safe to say I haven't mastered the thing. I've tried deactivating it, oversharing, public posts, and adopting my online persona all with ill-fated timings. I got scolded last night for deleting family friends and this morning I got scolded for being incessant. I've been told that my status updates are disgusting and deranged, yet I still persevere with my tripe. I feel like a fat kid eating cake who only wants more pie. And when you offend them, a simple "welcome to the Internet" - doesn't seem to cut it. What gives?

If only people at their keyboards were escorted by this fellow.

You don't have any news

You could have:

*Gone on 20 dates (did happen)

*Been to eight different countries since seeing them (did happen)

*Got a new job (did happen)

*Rode on a unicorn made of bacon and vomited magic rainbows (may have happened)

But thanks to the above this news is müt. You could say that this is due to my affinity for sharing the news on aforementioned platform but shutup.

You've been told.

Australian TV is really, really shit

I used to read about the abomination that was The Project. But never thought I'd be exposed to it. Until my stint at my Mum's in Traralgon. It was left on and it was like being anally compromised with a pine-cone (hasn't happened). The self-serving drivel seems to be an institution in this country. All I can surmise is that the collective amount of bile produced from watching Charlie Pickering's smug adulation has export value.

A more smug, self-adulating wanker I am yet to come across.

Australia's still home

I may be jetsetting Australasian these days, but I still love getting back to my town and knowing where to go, walk around, and eat. I took secret pride in the fact that my sister was asking for directions through the Melbourne CBD, and being able to get from a friend's house to my Mum's in less than five minutes in Traralgon almost makes it better than Changi Airport.

Almost.

There's stuff going on with the usual stuff, but I'll revisit them next time.

Writing a Wave

2012-01-08T10:29:00.000+08:00

I make no secret of the fact I like attention, and online I'm even worse. Between my time on Inthemix, to my slightly crazy videos on YouTube, and my engagement with the likes of Twitter and Google Plus, it's safe to say that I'm a fan of jumping up and down online.

But what about the blog?
In a bid to resume my love for sharing, I switched from my blogging birthplace at OpenDiary and relocated here. I started off in earnest, with a bold declaration about what I set out to achieve. Boldly declaring:

Lastly, I want the attention. I crave the attention. I thrive on my ability to capture someone's attention. It's why I write... I want your eyeballs, and this blog intends to suck them out of your sockets.

What went wrong?
I don't think I got there. I treated this space like a stream-of-consciousness recorder. While I started blogging very early on, I didn't really adapt. The way I wrote didn't change. I failed to capitalise.

So what?
You're bold aren't you titular writing device? Well I don't have a problem with simply recording what's going on as such. I quite enjoy using using this medium as a record that I can check back on, reflect, and utilise. But there's a problem with this, you see I keep mentioning something called the book.

54 mentions from 40-odd entries - obsessed much?

A new focus

The more sharp-eyed among you might have noticed some changes to the blog recently. Besides some cosmetic changes, there's an assurance that my book will be published in April, 2012.

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

Now there's a bit of pressure. An imposed deadline. And failing a publishing deal I need to make this happen. I'm not a complete failure, so I've been reading up on what I need to do to get there. And boy it's a lot of work. But it's also exciting.

A year for improvement

2011 was satisfying, the best year I've had in ten. I could just sit back and let it be.

But why not strive to make 2012 better?

I've been reading a lot of blogs lately. Ones that have stood out include ProBlogger, 1000 Awesome Things, Jeff Goins Writer, and Nerd Fitness. While they all cover different interests, what was consistent among them is a tale of self-improvement. They're successful because they didn't settle for being good. They're all properties that continually self-improve.

It's time for me to do the same.

Change is coming

Picture this, but in the written form. Yeah!

This year I'm stepping things up again. In the coming days I'll be writing about what this new focus will be on, and this blog will record it all. I hope you can come along for the ride.

Ever undertaken self-improvement yourself? What inspired you? Let us know!

A Befitting End, A Spectacular Start, and a Target

2012-01-01T12:52:00.006+08:00

I really need to find a more varied way of blogging abroad. As has become the norm when I'm away, I generally begin with a banal statement about where I currently am (Saigon) and then a remark about my surrounds (a hotel room) and get started. It's a lazy writing device, and something I'll have to step up my game with if I'm to get the book published, but more on that soon.

For a channel that didn't exist in most people's lives ten years ago, social media has been something that's almost become a compulsory tune-in. My feeds are inundated with self-reflection, well wishes, and varied takes on 2011 and the year that was. This entry, will be no different, so if you had high hopes I hate to be the bearer of ill news.

It's not like I have an aversion to this form of contemplation anyway. My own writing, tweets, status updates, and emails to my friends are full of this kind of stuff. And I enjoy articulating my thoughts, sense-checking them, and recording, in order to keep myself honest, accountable, and most importantly, have something to look back on and remember.

As I look back on 2011, I find it quite befitting that I'm sitting in a hotel room in Asia bashing away at a computer. I'm here with a friend I hadn't met before this year, in a place I hadn't been to before this year, and feeling a strong sense of satisfaction that I hadn't had before this year.

Not since 2001, have I felt as satisfied with a year's efforts. I had a couple of beers this afternoon before my disco nap, but let me assure you, I will be downing some more to commemorate the year's that's been.

2012 is also looking like it will be quite the start. I wake up tomorrow morning with a hangover in a country other than Australia, I set off for another working visit to Tokyo, and then get to go back to Melbourne to see one of my best friends get married to his beautiful fiancee. All in the space of January, all in a sense of awe.

I intentionally made reference to the book at the start of this entry, and the sharper-eyed among you might see a declaration on the right of this page with a few words about me. I will have my book published this year. The deadline I've set is April 2012. It's ambitious, but a deadline is what I need. I've got a few leads I'm following up on, and have had a few doors shut in my face, but I'm gunning for this to happen and will see it through.

There's a lot of work going on behind the scenes to make this happen, so keep watching this space to hear more.

And that's really it. Tonight we've got drinks at a sky bar, dinner at a restaurant and then a table at a bar. I've been laying low the last few hours but as I understand it Saigon really converges on its CBD on New Year's Eve and I look forward to seeing it. Judging by the sound outside my hotel window it's going to be loud, confronting, and in my face.

Bring on 2012.

Keep Smiling - My Take on 2011

2011-12-18T03:12:00.000+08:00

The weekend's been productive. I went out on two dates, trialled a new writing program, and had a ridiculously good time at a Swedish Christmas featuring Glögg.

Good use of a weekend in my opinion, but I'm not hear to wax on about the merits of a successfully-spent-Saturday-and-Sunday. Instead, I have decided to review 2011, a year of many firsts, and one that I am very thankful for the many opportunities it presented.

I was inspired by trawling through my old blog, The Tomes of Marshy, and recognised that in the earlier years, it was quite customary for me to do a year-in-review-style synopsis of what went down that year.

Given, that this year has been the most eventful by many measures this year, it only makes sense to resume this tradition.

****

Where to start? Let's start with some statistics:

Number of new countries visited this year: 7
Times I saw Gabriel & Dresden: 1
Times I have listened to Gabriel & Dresden sets since being disappointed: less than 10
Video log views:1,300+
Amount of guests that stayed in my new Singapore apartment: 13
Jobs had this year: 3 with two companies

And I guess that will do, I just calculated them on the spot and I guess it's indicative of what has preyed on my mind this year. Travel, music, personal development, friends/family and career.

And if this were a role-playing game, I've racked up a shit-load of experience and improved my stats in all the key characteristics. And I'm Level 28 now, I can dish out some serious pwn

First the travel. It's fair to say I used to eschew it. I had a lot of stuff going on in my life and shitting on about travel and trips and what I have/haven't seen did not interest me in the slightest. But, it's a bit of a life-experience impediment not having seen the world and I took it upon myself to do just that.

Without ever having left the country I jumped on a plane to Singapore for work, and in the meantime have managed to see Krabi, Chiang Mai, Bali, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh, and Manila. Some of these places more than once, and managed to go back to Australia to brag about the experience three times on top of this. Winning.

It's given me a fresh, new perspective on the friendships that count, reaffirmed my ongoing love for my family, and made me completely forget the people who aren't worth the time of day - who? Exactly.

While I've been further than ever away from my favourite clubs, my love for tunes and music has only increased. It's been a bloody good year for sounds and appreciation of it. So much so, that after years of deliberation, I chose to get a tattoo of my favourite song from my favourite band, Crystal by New Order.

I've been enjoying it so much that I might undertake another project, let's watch this space in 2012.

Speaking of projects, I made less headway on the book than I would have liked, but am realising that there's no rush and that progression comes in many forms. Another project is the entitled Marshwah, which has been a tremendous amount of fun and given me some great insights into video, editing, and new media.

Career has been the other big story for me this year. I've worked hard and reaped rewards far more rapidly than I've anticipated. If making the call to move from Melbourne to Sydney for work was smart, moving from Sydney to Singapore was incisive. I'm blown away by what I've achieved and have to shift the goalposts again. Not that I'm complaining.

The year has been colourful, chaotic, and an absolute pleasure. Next year has a lot to live up to, something tells me we'll be up to the challenge.

****

Another tradition I used to have from my old blog was a saying that I'd append to the end of each entry, it's ringing true for me now so I'm going to dust it off.

Keep Smiling.

Like a Boss

2011-11-28T19:42:00.002+08:00

If you're a friend of mine on Facebook and other platforms, you would have noticed my newfound affinity for this phrase. I like the false sense of arrogance it denotes, while having a laugh at myself and the situations I append it to.

Things have been happening like a boss lately however. It's nothing short of astounding what this year has brought.

Almost a year ago, I relocated to Singapore to pursue a new dream. I needed to go international, I'd never left my homeland and the wanderlust was simply too strong. What had held me back in years before was no longer an issue, and with the loss of an account I was working on was the catalyst for a new opportunity.

I continued with the agency I was working with in Sydney, and took on a new role, new challenges and new markets. I've learned some things as I go, and have embraced each change as much as I have worked through new doors that have opened.

People told me Singapore is a great place for travel. Having spent the last ten months living there, I've been surprised by how much I have been able to do. I've racked up eight countries thus far, and am only hungry for more.

---

I was writing the above on the way back from Philippines, and we had to turn off electronic devices. I had a tale unfurling in my head but I'm distracted now. So I think we'll leave it at this for now. Like a boss does.

'Nam Baby

2011-11-05T20:02:00.001+08:00

I'm starting to sound like a broken record. I'm on a plane again. This time it's Vietnam and I'm grateful as always for the opportunity to travel. I have a lot of friends in Singapore that find it pretty easy to jump on the "it's boring" bandwagon (myself included).

It's times like these when I realise I'm an ungrateful idiot.

I'm travelling with a mate from work and the trip was booked at short notice for a very modest price. It's a public holiday in Singapore on Monday so it's a semi-extended trip, but that doesn't mean the travel has to. This week I'm off to Sydney to work I'm quite excited about returning there as my last two jaunts to Australia have been to Melbourne. It will be good to return to the spot where I forged my career, not to mention seeing all my wonderful friends.

I managed to update my vlog again, I'm up to my eigth entry, appropriately titled: "Marshwah travelling". Check it out if you like at: http://www.youtube.com/marshwah

I'd embed it within my blog, but I'm on a plane and find such coding difficult given the lack of Internet.

It's been quite a fun project and I've enjoyed having a laugh with it. It does shit-all traffic, even this blog bests it, which has been a bit of a blow to the ego given my threads on Inthemix used to inspire dozens of comments. But it's a new platform and I'll persevere - it's good to have projects on the go.

I've started another project as well that's a bit closer to home, but I'm keeping quiet about it for now, I think I'm going to give it a few weeks before I start advertising what it's about.

Gosh I love the Internet and what it lets you get up to.

Well it looks like we're landing earlier than I anticipated as there was a bit more I want to say, we'll see how we go on the brief trip back to Singapore.

The Inevitable Musings on the Way to Bali

2011-11-01T22:11:00.000+08:00

I'm on a plane again, this time I'm headed to Bali.

So naturally it's time for a blog update. I was listening to a Ferry Corsten mix, Creamfields, and it opened with a song I can't quite identify without the Internet on standby. It's a bloody solid tune, Father, I think it's called.

Anyway, it opened with a some lyrics. They went something like this:

"Brother, and sister, tell me how you're feeling..."

Then it continues, the lyric that really resonated with me was a bit later, it went:

"...one million miles away from home, one million miles away from love..."

It got me thining, because this is how I felt last Saturday. Sitting at home, gaming on my beloved Xbox 360, I was hit with an overwhelming sense of homesickness. It was massive. I know it comes and goes, but this was an overpowering wave. I say wave now because it passed, but at the time it was all that I could think about. It was so strong that I found myself searching on realestate.com.au for apartments I could rent in Melbourne, and then it ebbed away.

I spoke to my sister a bit later, not about that, but the exchange put my mind at ease.

Wow. Where did it come from? Will it come again? Will I be ready for it? I've done some self-reflection since and spoken to my friends openly about it. What's been stewing in my head is two things, the first is that my reasons for being away from home are no longer the same as they once were. I left what I consider to be my home city for a media gig in Sydney. I needed to build up my credentials before I return, I told myself. And build is what I have done. I could walk into a media job in Melbourne now.

The second, more subconscious reason, is that it's the only place I've been in love. I'm not disputing that love can be found in many places, and there are cliches about it coming when you least look for it, but I'm getting kind of lonely doing my own thing. One thing that travelling to places like Tokyo and Pai have told me is that it would be amazing to have someone to share it with.

I've had dalliances, with both sexes, and as enjoyable as its been I'm kind of sick of short-term exchanges. In the gay world, there are guys that scour the sites specifying that they are after a LTR (long-term relationship) - I used to scoff at this. You don't simply state that you are looking for a long-term relationship, it happens naturally. Yet I can relate to how they're feeling now and share their sense of perspective to a degree.

This is no woe-betide-me tale. It's merely what has happened over the past few weeks.

Another thing that's been happening over the past few weeks is book progression. I'm editing what I've compiled thus far pen-and-paper-style. It will also help me with the structure, as I can rearrange pages and portions as I see fit. There's something soothing about doing this too.

That's my plane blog, I'm about to land and catch up with an old work colleague who also doubles as a great bloke, to say I'm looking forward to catching up is an understatement.

I'm going to leave you with a compliment that I received from a friend this week, that not only has me smiling, but had me nodding in agreeance about a succinct summation of my attitude:

"I like that you are always you, and don't give a damn about treading in people's toes or caring what people might think <3"

So I'm having a weepy blog entry about homesickness and being lonely. If you don't like it you can go fuck yourself.

Following Up on a Nugget of Inspiration

2011-10-14T08:01:00.001+08:00

I'm sitting on a plane headed to Thailand, and have just written what I intend to be a blog entry.

But I'm hungry, I wanted to write more, and here I am.

I have a lot on my mind at the moment, a lot bubbling up and I would like to capture it.

At the forefront of my mind, is a desire to succeed. I've got a destination in mind, and I know where I want to be in five years time, and I know where I want to be in ten years time. Beyond this, I don't think I have the foresight to envisage beyond that, but I will know before I get there.

I'm driven. That's a given. I'm not settling for mediocre and I want to achieve a lot in my time here. Every day progresses and I'm closer to achieving my goals. Each year passes and I reflect on the year before in wonder.

I'm on an upwards trajectory and am fortunate enough to be have been on this path for long enough now for reflection, this reflection sees appreciation, and this appreciation drives me to seek more. I'm a proud person, and I seek a hell of a lot to be proud of.

I'm starting a lot of this sentences with 'I'. That's because I have me on my mind. Nobody else is going to hand me what I want so I have to rely on myself to get there. Fortunately I have a skill set and the acumen to go there and continually self-improve.

Where's the destination? What do I want to achieve?

First things first, I have a book I want to publish. It has 54,000 words done and it's not enough. I want to finish it. I want it out there. I want to spread my message and have something I can be proud of. Why am I telling you this? I want to be accountable. Without documenting what I want it will only remain in my head, and all that lies in my head are dreams.

I'm going to wrap this entry up here. That's my first goal. I'm making this promise to myself: by the time I'm back on the plane, I'm going to have tangibly progressed towards my goal. 54,000 words down, and its not enough. I'm going to continue writing...

A Life-Changing Breakfast

2011-10-14T07:57:00.001+08:00

Last Sunday I had a breakfast that might have changed my life.

I work at Google, and it was a brunch with some colleagues. I work at a brilliant company, and presumably the people I were having brunch with were brilliant people. I'm new to the company and while it's safe to assume these people were brilliant, it's not for this reason specifically that I had a life-changing breakfast.

It wasn't the food either. I'd opted for the big breakfast, and it was quite good, one of the best Western breakfasts I've had in Singapore. There was Chipolata sausage, poached eggs, toast, spinach, and even a dash of bolognese sauce. It was a touch unconventional, and I guess that's what made me label it Western.

It wasn't the coffee. Even though I was told this coffee was some of the best in Singapore, and it delivered on this promise and then some. It was a round, fat cup, and the liquid was warm, nourishing, and had just the right amount of edgy bite. No, it wasn't the coffee.

I did order another on the way out, and I guess this breakfast was the precursor to that life-changing moment.

Because across the road was a bookshop. Despite being an aspiring writer, I read very little of books. I read content and converse voraciously. But it's quite a rare occurrence to find me reading a book, I simply don't have the attention span.

But I was surrounded by presumably brilliant people and at their behest I entered the bookshop, it was called Books, Actually.

I purchased a book in there, but that's not what changed my life. It was the book that I picked up yet didn't buy.

It was called 'It's not how good you are, it's how good you want to be'.

The book appealed to me because it was small, palatable, and once I started reading, I found myself nodding and agreeing. It wasn't just because the book was written by a guy in advertising. It helped, I work in advertising after all, but it was more because it was inspirational.

I decided then and there to purchase this book. This inspirational knowledge that would help me progress in life, but I was stopped.

By one of the brilliant people I was with. She said she had the book and would lend it to me, I thanked her, and the next day at work she handed it to me on loan.

Four days later, I'm sitting on a plane headed to Thailand, and feeling compelled to write this entry after reading the book. I wanted to record this moment in time, the day my life changed.

Watch this space.

Everything is Coming Up Marshall

2011-10-09T20:29:00.003+08:00

2011 continues to deliver in ways I could never envisage.

The past week and a half has seen me return to Melbourne for one of my best friend's weddings, commence an epic trip to Japan, get immersed in one of the best weeks of my career, and see me return to Singapore positively beaming with a trip to Thailand on the cards for Thursday night.

I'm a very lucky person. A year ago I was at my housemate's birthday in Sydney seeing one of the gigs of my life and thinking life is good. It's continued to outstrip itself and challenge what it's like to be happy. Also a year ago, I wrote an entry stating My Bassline is Increasing. I reflected on what's gone down since my move to Sydney, and the simple things seem better than they were years ago.

I had an anonymous commenter ask in that entry:

Is it that you are more contented, or is it that you have just realised that over time your life can infinitely be more advantageous and that taking advantage of all opportunities that are present to you at any stage of your life actually adds to your personal satisfaction and well being?

I never bothered to answer the question, as at the time I couldn't distinguish the difference between being more contented and having more opportunities. I thought it was a given that with more opportunities comes more contentment.

Fuck that. You make your opportunities, and they're in abundance if you look hard enough. And if you can't see any you make them.

I think the point my anonymous commentator was making was that your ability to realise this over time increases. This year has seen more change amongst my friends than almost any other. One has decided to traverse the world based on a feeling, another quit their job to take up study again, another became a tattooist after years of professional artistry.

Is it because things have finally come good or because they're out there making the most of what they've got?

If the question is rhetorical to you I think you get it, and if it's not then I won't wish you good luck, because you'll never get it if that's what you're relying on.

I Feel Dirty Already

2011-09-15T21:17:00.003+08:00

I feel dirty already.

I ate my words. After denouncing the beast two and a half months ago, I caved and returned to Facebook. It was an interesting journey being without it. I think the time spent off it was time spent well, and definitely gave me some perspective about living overseas and the challenges of staying in touch.

What did I learn?

Other social media is out there

I embraced the other social media that's out there, and it was fun. I found myself checking my LinkedIn a lot more and reaching out to build connections on there. My Twitter usage went through the roof!

The Marshwah Project saw more videos made. And that elephant in the room, Google+ continued to see some thought out updates from myself. My point being, that while losing Facebook may seem like cutting your hand off, the void can be filled.

For instant gratification, Facebook is streets ahead

I readily identify myself as a social media whore, and ever since commencing blogging in 2001, one of the key elements to enjoying it was the responses. People love engagement and conversation and I'm no different. Despite having the other social media out there, there is something about being able to make a post and have five people comment inanely on it almost instantaneously. I don't think it's simply due to sheer volume of people Facebook has either. I think it's more to do with the user experience. A similar (but not quite) amount of gratification could be gained from my time on Inthemix. But not quite.

You can set the trend, but it's pretty lonely

I bravely set out to do something only a few of my friends already had, and I enjoyed the experience and stand by it, but there's something to be said for going with the majority. Call it herd-mentality, but I don't believe in biting your own ear off for principle's sake and will happily concede defeat. I'm overseas, in another country, and have spent the longest time away from friends and family I ever have in my life, the time away was good - but I'd love to reconnect.

---

So I'm back, and when I say dirty, I'm more like a pig in mud.

How I Got a Career in Media (and not Advertising): Some Lessons

2011-08-14T13:47:00.009+08:00

Yesterday, a friend of mine shared a link with me of an enterprising young man that is applying for a role with Google. It's very clever, the guy, Matthew Epstein, applies basic marketing principles upon a well-known subject, himself.

Like the Old Spice campaign the year before, Matthew didn't do anything ground-breaking. He just utilised existing channels with a single, over-arching premise that was cohesive on all touch points. Whether or not Matthew will get a job at Google is yet to be determined, but I have no doubts that he will go on to succeed, a quick look at the web metrics in his blog is proof enough of that.

Another advertising/media/advertising whiz is Zac Martin, whose blog Pigs Don't Fly advocates the 'Move Fast and Break Things' approach coined by web behemoth Facebook. His advice is about building something is sound, and I couldn't endorse it enough.

When I started this blog over a year ago, I mentioned my reasons for doing so, referring to an article that Blogs are the new CV. I basically acknowledged the need to start marketing myself a bit better, and as I said then, I am writing a fucking book after all.

Things for me continue to get better and better, and I thought it was time to impart some of my own advice about how to make it in the marketing industry, in the only way I know how: by telling a story.

****

By 2006, I'd decided I wanted to get into the media and advertising game. I'd temped at an agency called Starcom and basically enjoyed my time there, and set my mind to getting in. I even wrote about it in my OpenDiary (beware of the shirt).

The first thing people will tell you about getting into media and advertising, is that it’s fucking difficult. Ironically, once you’re in, the first thing people will tell you about media and advertising, is that it’s hard to find good people.

I believed I was good and set my heart to it. What struck me as a golden opportunity was Advertising Federation of Australia's Graduate Program. It had a stringent selection process, but I went to the information session with my Mum and believed I was up to the task.

The first hurdle was a set of seemingly boring questions:

Why do you want a career in advertising?
Which brand do you most admire and why?
What is your favourite advertising campaign and why?
What is the most challenging thing you have done? Why was it challenging?
List 10 things to do before you’re 30.
If we asked someone who knows you well to describe you, what would they say about you?
If you couldn’t get into advertising, what would you do?

If you're interested, you can read my answers to these questions here.

Lesson #1: Be interesting.

I passed the first hurdle, the second hurdle, was much more daunting. It was a day-long workshop where you'd meet the agencies involved, brainstorm and work within groups, and then pitch to the agencies themselves. We weren't armed with much information, other than there was a no PowerPoint policy. Fortunately, we'd been given the names of the agencies involved. They included George Patterson Y&R, Clemenger BBDO, Grey and Magnum Opus.

My friend Sean knew a guy that worked in advertising and offered me his phone number, I seized it with both hands and picked this guy's brain. I asked all the burning questions and then some. The knowledge this guy had was tremendous. I shared my plan for the pitch, he added some words of advice and we were away.

Lesson #2: Know someone and lean on them.

The day came and went. I blew it out of the water. I'd handcrafted a folio for each agency that had their logo emblazoned on the cover. The start of the folio had a letter, addressing them in the only style I knew how: "Marshy" style.

The letter read like this:

Dear Representative,

My name is Luke 'Marshy' Marshall and I'm here today to bring my life to life. Here is a booklet which will highlight the key points of my presentation, with my contact details on the back page. Feel free to keep it, it may be worth something one day, I'll be signing autographs at the commencement of the proceedings. Before I go into the main thrust of this presentation, I'll provide you with some facts:

* I'm from country Traralgon, but don't let that hold you back
* I like to cook 2-minute noodles for longer than 2 minutes
* I have a very unhealthy obsession with dance music
and,
* I'm deadly serious about my desire to get into the advertising industry.

I'm extremely versatile, and have done jobs ranging from data entry operator to DJ, and as crazy as it sounds I believe all my past professions have prepared me for an advertising career. As such, I've chosen to bring my 'working' life to life, with convincing reasons as to why they have prepared me for advertising. So without further ado, flick over your pages please...

But that was just the opening, over the pages included "slides" of what I had accomplished in my career thus far:

Accompanying the presentation were props, as a paperboy, I flung a paper across the room to show I delivered the message, as a sports journalism intern I pulled out a footy to prove my point, as a bartender, I whipped out a bottle of Baileys and poured them all shots (except the pregnant lady, sorry about that one).

The pitch couldn't have gone better.

Lesson #3: Go hell for leather.

But this wasn't a fairy tale, through the AFA I secured a meeting with one of the agencies, that was postponed and postponed, until finally I met with the director to be told there was no room for an intern and that I'd been mistaken. I was gutted.

To my detriment, I'd never followed up and had taken no for an answer.

For the next year I applied for roles in Melbourne. The thing about the city I love is that there weren't that many entry-level roles for the likes of me, and when I did get through to the interview process I never managed to get over the line.

The progress was like this:

1) Find ideal job;

2) Get excited and apply;

3) Reach interview;

4) Crash and burn like a drunken pilot; and

5) Get depressed by another knockback.

It was early 2008, and I was contemplating moving to Sydney to achieve my dream.

Lesson #4: Be ready to adapt.

Acknowledging this reality crystallised something inside of me, and I went for an interview with a media agency in Melbourne, called Zenith Optimedia. I had a bit more tenacity this time, and got through to a final interview with one of the partners.

He hinted at giving the role to the other candidate and that was enough for me. I put it on the line, I said I rarely get an opportunity to pick the brains of the media elite and what were my chances of finding employment if I moved to Sydney.

"I'll get back to you," I'll always remember him saying. I never imagined hearing back from him.

So imagine my surprise as I picked up a call from an unknown number as I was plugging away as a data entry operator for an insurance company. It was the partner, they had a role in Sydney and he asked how quickly I could move - I told him two weeks. FUCK YES.

Lesson 4: NEVER stop chasing your dreams.

****

And the dream has continued. I'm sitting in a penthouse apartment in Singapore, about to pursue another new opportunity.

It's exciting and terrifying and I would never have anticipated this while I was knocking on doors in Melbourne and recovering from my time in Perth.

If you're thinking about doing something about your career, do it. You don't need a fancy video, but you do need to tell a story, and that's the only way I know how.

Top 5 Gigs I've Ever Been To

2011-07-20T20:46:00.006+08:00

I'm not going to lie, I've been updating this more than usual.

I put this down to two reasons. The first, is that I've had the book at the back of my mind a lot lately, and I'm keen to step things up a notch and get things finished. The way I can get back into it is by getting into the habit of writing more regularly, and hopefully this habit will transfer to the book. It can't hurt anyway!

The second reason is thanks to a program I've had recommended to me for a while, but have only just picked up. Evernote has been fantastic. If something jumps into my head while I'm out and about or at work, I can simply jot it down and then re-read it at work, home or on my phone. It reminds me very much of the Pensieve in Harry Potter. Although not quite as magical. More techno-ma-logical.

But I digress, I wanted to list out my Top 5 gigs of all time. Why? Well I've recently completed the list. It may change in the future. For example, New Order might reform and I will go to their concert, but for now here it is. Insert something here about no preferential order or some such.

1. Matias Aguayo, Pirates of the Underground Boat Cruise III, Sydney Harbour, 19/12/09

Who is this guy you ask? You might even listen to some of his music on Youtube, or note that his debut album made Resident Advisor's Top 100 Albums of the 00's. None of that knowledge mattered to me, as I had never heard of the guy prior to stepping on the boat. I got on the boat and all preconceptions about what good dance music was were thrown out the window. The boat, a piddly little thing next to the super-yachts of Sydney's elite, was heaving. And it was all thanks to one man. The guy completely blew my mind. He actually sampled an obnoxious guys horn-blowing mid-set, and sampled it back into what he was playing. I raved about it after the event. My friend wrote an even better review. It was all such a pleasant surprise, I wish I was back there.

2. Daft Punk, Sydney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne, 14/12/07

Personally, I didn't care for the hype surrounding this act. I got my tickets a couple of weeks beforehand off a reseller, listened to their Alive set prior, and was prepared for a good show. That was pretty much it. I had a couple of vodka Red Bulls, lost my friends, then they started... I didn't stop moving until they finished. This Youtube doesn't really do it justice, but I was there that night, and hearing 'Music Sounds Better With You' towards the end was something else. I blogged about it then and the comments still stand. I did end up finding my friends at the end of the gig, their grins were as large as mine.

3. Gabriel & Dresden, Zouk Nightclub, Singpapore, 03/06/11

I had built this gig up in my mind bigger than it was ever going to be. Imagine falling belatedly in love with an act, whose very first remix was of one of your favourite songs from your favourite group. Only to discover they have broken up before you ever get a chance to see them. But then, it gets even better, you get offered the opportunity of the lifetime, a chance to move overseas and develop your career, and then discovering that the act you fell in love with are touring in Australia after you leave. There was a tale of redemption, they played at Zouk Club, Singapore, I was there middle and centre. The highlight for me was counting down to a fresh edit of this track and getting blasted by an ice cannon. You can't script better experiences. The gig wasn't the best in this list, I was disappointed to hear them play a dubstep track, but it was the finale to one of the greatest musical journeys of my life.

4. King Unique, Musica @ The Forum, Sydney, 09/10/10

It was a good friend's 30th and we'd already had a big day, we had a house party in the afternoon, and then made our way to the conveniently timed Musica party that started at dusk. The day was already good, and anything that we got out of clubbing that night was just going to be icing on the cake. The headliner played a warm-up set, there was some noise and some dancing, and then King Unique came on. He ripped the venue a new one. Completely smashed and destroyed the place with tune, after tune, completely devastating people who hadn't expected someone listed 3rd on the billing to completely own the night. I was an instant convert. It was a gig very worthy of this list, he held a broom aloft at one stage like a crazed gorilla. What more can you say?

5. Robbie Lowe, Extrawelt, and Michael Mayer, Subsonic Music Festival @ Barrington Tops, 3-5/12/10

Festivals are a tough one. They're generally a disappointment. Too many acts to choose from, massive crowds, and they tend to attract douchebags. Subsonic was a stupendous exception to the rule. The festival ticked so many boxes you'd need a new warehouse, and the crew we partied with were some of my nearest and dearest friends. The music on this weekend though, was exceptional. Seeing Sydney-local-hero Robbie playing at 1am, outdoors, next to a river on a hot summer's night with a very refreshing light drizzle of rain was delightful. Hearing warped progressive from a duo you've admired on centre-stage held me absolutely captivated. And just when I didn't think it could be topped, having an epic, Sunday afternoon set that moved me to comical interpretative dance for the following hours capped off what was truly an amazing weekend.

----

So there you have it, my Top 5 gigs. You can see that they are from within the last five years, I can only hope the next five are as special.

Charleson Farm and the Triple M Adventure

2011-07-18T20:57:00.005+08:00

Sometimes when you're drinking with friends the topic of 'best' comes up. Best movie is a fun one to talk about while drinking, as is favourite actor/actress or good TV shows. I find when I'm having these sorts of conversations I get a myriad of suggestions that I should follow up on, yet never do. Despite 1,001 people suggesting I watch Dexter and myself stating "I'll give it a chance", I never do, and it gets relegated to the pile of things I'll never do, for better or worse (I'm told it's REALLY good).

But back to the original topic, one 'best' came about that sounds simple enough, but you don't hear that often. Someone in the group asked 'what was your best holiday?' Immediately a slew of arguments emerged, with the overall theme being that the question was very subjective. You could have the most relaxing, but it wouldn't necessarily be the best. You could have the trashiest, and it wouldn't necessarily be the best. And so on.

I have the privilege of not even having to take all these facets into consideration. I already know what my best holiday is. I'll call it, Charleson Farm and the Triple M adventure.

How did this escapade come about? Through furious organisation by friend 'A'.

Back in the day, we had an email chain of a group of friends that included friend 'A' and a bunch of people from both Sydney and Melbourne. We had all come to know each other via my perennial reference Inthemix, and exchanged banter on an ongoing reply-all chain. Talk had come to a head, and the topic of a big get together was mentioned. Friend 'A' ran with it. From researching, to getting interested parties to contribute, to arranging who was cooking what on each night.

It was a formidable task getting a dozen of us to get our shit together, and friend 'A' performed admirably. Soon enough, we had a destination, Charleson Farm.

----Aside, holy crap! A quick Google Search just revealed that there's a video of the place!

Anyway, now that I've painted a vivid picture of what the place looks like, here comes another complicated logistic. The place was outside of Geelong, myself, friend 'A', and friend 'B', all lived in Sydney. We had to fly or drive down there.

'A' crunched the numbers and it turned out cheaper to drive. Our names all begin with 'M' - thus the Triple M adventure was born.

Now I knew these guys fairly well. After all, we'd been exchanging email banter for a year or so, and I'd recently relocated to Sydney with some help from 'A' and 'B' as well. But still, this was a 12-hour drive we were looking at, each way, and even the best of friendships can unravel being in such a close proximity to each other. Add to that, 'A' and 'B' were a couple, and I was looking at a potentially tough journey.

I got the extra time off, and we departed early Thursday morning. They picked me up and we were away. The mood was buoyant and we all knew we were in for a treat. There's certain rules that one should adhere to when travelling with people for such a long distance, and for this journey, the rulebook was thrown right out of the window.

There was a temperature gauge in the car. It told the temperature. It was cold outside. The gauge reflected this. Fascinating stuff. At least it was to 'A' and 'B'.

"Hey 'A', look at the temperature - it's 4 degrees".

"Hey Marshy, you see that? It says it's 4 degrees", said 'B'.

After about half an hour of this shit, I'd had enough.

"Hey guys, why don't you talk about the temperature more."

And it was on.

While I wouldn't say the 12-hour journey consisted of temperature references exclusively, these two went out of their fucking way to let me know about the weather at every point of the journey. First of all, these guys didn't know me that well, that I'd let them get away with this shit. Secondly, these guys knew that fact and ran with it. These were friends for life.

We arrived at Charleson Farm, and it was like the opening scenes of Big Brother where they arrive at the house. We ran from room-to-room, marvelling at what we'd scored. The next order of business was to put on the fire, put our legs up, and revel in resplendent, blissful peace. While I was new to my job, there had been a lot of stress with the loss of an account, and it was good just to switch off and forget about it.

And that's what it was like until the Friday night, a relaxing time of doing nothing. Every time I thought about checking my phone, I didn't. And it felt good.

The next phase of the holiday was like a slow-release birthday present. As time ticked over, the rest of the dozen started arriving. Each time a new member arrived it was exhilaration and joy as we hastened to show them the surrounds and where they could put their things. This was our holiday and we fucking owned it. There were high-fives and pats on the back all round.

Once everyone arrived we drank and were merry, and good times were had.

Saturday was the calm before the storm. During the day we bided our time, some ate, some started drinking early, others cooked and cleaned, but all knew it was game on once the sun set. We were in an isolated part of the world with DJ decks, accomplished music aficionados, and the perfect mindset.

I can't go into details about what went down that night, that would be outside the spirit of it, but let's just say there's video evidence and if it ever saw the light of day there'd be some members of the group that would null and void their chances of ever getting into politics.

The recovery day was all it could be and more, we snuggled with doonas and watched old movies like The Goonies and The Lost Boys. One of our friends even made a delicious zucchini soup (something I always considered an oxymoron). The holiday wound down and by the next morning everyone pitched in with cleaning the place up.

The trip home had a different mood to it, it was one of kinship, there was less talk, and more comfortable silence. The clincher for me was when I was dropped off and instantly missed my companions, and then gasped with pleasured surprise when my phone beeped and it was them thanking me for an awesome time.

I've been on holidays since, and I'm sure I'll go on holidays that will be better in other ways, but Charleson Farm and the Triple M Adventure will be hard to top for me.

----

I recently went back to Australia, and without realising it, spent a night partying on with a good half dozen of the members that we holidayed with that time, when it was realised it didn't come as a surprise. It was good times with good friends.

Oh yeah, and the temperature gag? It still lives, just check out A and B's JurkTurtle blog and scroll down to the bottom.

Yeah, very funny guys.

Silly Sayings and Their Origins

2011-07-17T12:37:00.003+08:00

I hail from a small town in Eastern Victoria, nestled within Gippsland, called Traralgon. I'm fiercely proud of my background, and love letting strangers and friends know about tidbits of information that have filtered through my upbringing and beyond.

Maybe because of my heritage, maybe for completely other reasons unbeknownst to me, there are a few sayings that have resonated with me, and that I continue to utter to this day whether it be verbally, while drunk, or cryptically as a status or Twitter update.

They'll always have an air of mystery for me, but today I feel like deciphering the nonsense, or attempting to.

1. Safest hands in the west

This is a favourite of mine to trot out after catching something. To me, it resembles a brag - these are the safest hands in the west - and I can catch unerringly and with great skill. But I'm not quite sure where I got it from. I barrack for an AFL team, the Western Bulldogs, and I'm fond of likening my ability to catch to that of an AFL footballer. But I can't be sure, I'm more fond of it now that I live in the East, I can cite the silly statement when catching something here, as if I have all of the ability of the Western world behind me. Maybe one day I'll meet my Eastern coounterpart?

2. Kick this one for st. paul, and this for minneapolis, and kick this one here for me and my super hero complex

I really enjoy this phrase, and is one that has resonated with me upon first hearing. I first heard it as an excerpt from a remix I heard on Triple J, but it is take from a oft-sampled spoken word called Pride's Paranoia. The entire verse is pretty mesmerising for me, much like Wear Sunscreen, but this particular verse stands out in my memory - why? I don't know. I'll probably never go to St. Paul or Minneapolis and I'm not altogether certain what a superhero complex is or whether I have one. But sometimes, at particular moments in my life, I've felt these words spill out of my brain.

3. Strike me a kipper, I'm all out of lemons

This statement is probably the most nonsensical of them all, as when you break it down it really doesn't make an ounce of sense. In recent years, it's been my most oft-repeated, now as a deliberate source of good humoured banter amongst friends. I've thought long and hard about where it came from, and did some research this morning. I'm pretty sure I heard the term or something similar on Martin/Molloy's The Brown Album back in 1995, but I don't have a copy of it anymore and the excerpts I listened to on Youtube bore no fruit. A Google search of the term revealed a similar catch-cry from a Red Dwarf episode, with the phrase 'Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.' I used to watch the show religiously, so it's entirely plausible that my memory has played Chinese Whispers and adapted it to the nonsense it is today.

4. Give me, a kiss to build a dream on

I love this phrase, and every time I hear it I smile. It takes me back to my teens, and my exposure to the game "Fallout 2" - it's from a beautiful Louis Armstrong song and my heart melts every time I hear it. I've uttered it in all sorts of incantations, and it still resonates with me today. It's a magical song.

So there you have it. An explanation of the unexplainable. It's funny though, how certain turns of phrase just sound appealing, but may come across as rubbish to someone else.

I guess this means I can no longer knock Megan Fox's tattoo.

I'm comfortable with that.

Those Rash Decisions That Seem Right

2011-07-04T22:34:00.004+08:00

I just deactivated my Facebook.

As little as a month ago, this would have frightened the hell out of me. But now, it feels right. You know when you have those decisions festering in your head, and it could go either way, and you end up going one way and feel an immediate sense of relief?

That's how I feel at the moment.

I proudly displayed my electronic act of rebellion on the new Google+. One of my friends questioned whether this was premature - after all - there are friends on there that won't be transitioning on to the new platform for years to come, if at all.

I'm pretty comfortable with that. As big a fan as I am of the new Google+, I don't see it as a Facebook replacement. It may eventually end up replacing it, but for now its a nifty new platform for sharing, getting the attention of some people I admire, and has connected 64 of my friends.

A digital agency I admire, mentioned at the start of the year something called social media fatigue. It was the first time I'd heard of it and I almost scoffed at the idea. Yet halfway through the year some of those 64 of my friends did deactivate their profiles, citing pretty much the same reason.

But am I fatigued? After all, I'm an enterprising social media whore (see About Me). I don't think I am, but I'm ready to bank against the house. It's not a huge statement, but it's mine.

We'll see who wins in the end.

Sometimes I Have to Pinch Myself

2011-06-24T13:28:00.002+08:00

We have it good in Australia. It's a fantastic country and I will eventually return there. I'm proud of my culture and heritage and don't hesitate to share it with people and share the idiosyncrasies I'm a part of.

But notice how I said 'eventually'. Sometimes I have to pinch myself, because moving overseas has opened my eyes to so much more.

In a good way? You betcha. I've been here almost exactly four months. It's been a bit of a jump and not without its ups and downs. But am I better off? I've learned more about myself and my capabilities in four months here than the last year I've spent in Australia.

I don't begrudge that fact, I more or less appreciate it for what it is. I was talking to a bit of a mentor of mine around this time last year about opportunities and heading overseas and he said it's good to wait. I could have done this as a school-leaver or graduate, but would I have had the same open and receptive attitude, the same appreciation to what I have now? I don't think so. I was a very different person from 18-22 to what I am now.

Oh listen to me, I visit three countries in SE Asia and all of a sudden I'm worldly and have all this omniscience and insight. That's not it at all! It's just made me more thankful for the experiences I've had, friends I've made both home and abroad, and very appreciative of my background and family.

I guess that's the hardest part about doing this on my own. I do miss my friends and wish I could share my experiences with them. And knowing that the rest of my immediate family are all back in my hometown enjoying life eats at me inside, but I know this is all part of the process - and I think next time I see them they'll be blown away by my affection for them.

Eventually though.

I'll be right back, I have a world to see.

You've Come a Long Way, Baby

2011-05-28T15:59:00.002+08:00

We've come a long long way together

Through the hard times and the good

I have to celebrate you baby

I have to praise you like i should

-- Praise You, Fatboy Slim

----

Not the most profound lyrics unleashed on man, but certainly resonating with me at the moment. Things continue to astound me about this place, and I have a raft of visitors coming through in the coming months for me to look forward to.

After a hiatus while life got crazy, the Masters is commencing again, I start in two days and am looking forward to tucking into some academic endeavour. Not biting off too much, just one subject, but it should help keep my mind sharp. The subject is Writing History and while history is not my strong suit, I am eager to learn and apply myself.

The Marshwah Project has been a good laugh, with my foray into video logging providing some entertainment for myself and others. I think initially I was gunning for a new video every 3-4 days, but this is a shade ambitious for a number of reasons.

I have a day job and will be studying again very soon
The production elements of the task takes longer than I anticipated, with the whole rigmarole taking a good few hours
Being the complete narcissist that I am, I need to acknowledge that me talking about just anything doesn't really make the cut - I need engaging material and I think it's quality over quantity

Having said that however, I'm enjoying it quite a lot and one a week should keep me out of trouble. The feedback has been amusing too, it's ranged from "go Marshy!" to "GTFO" to a tongue-lashing from one of my old friends who is resoundingly anti-digital (in good humour though). We'll see if the novelty wears off or if it continues to prosper.

Probably need to lose the headset though, I'll do that when I get a new computer!

So previously I mentioned that I'm not drinking for two months, and if you know me well you might be surprised to read that I haven't caved yet! It's been 15 days without a drink.

To be honest, I haven't missed it as much as I thought. The culture is a bit different in Singapore and despite being out and being offered free drinks on several occasions, I haven't felt the need. Alcohol's main allure for a lot of people is the lowering of inhibitions and relaxant effect - I'm a very uninhibited person anyway so it's not really affecting my enjoyment. Add to this, my head's feeling much, much clearer. I feel like the guy in Limitless.

But there's more to it than that, I've commenced The Couch-to-5k Running Plan and have completed my first week. I've had this program recommended to me several times over the years, but have always essentially ignored it because I don't like the clumsiness of time-based running ie. Run for 60 seconds, walk for 90 seconds etc. But with my new open and fog-free mind, I discovered a set of podcasts that counts the time for me.

The music sounds like what would happen if you froze 50 kilos of frozen tripe and spun it around in a cement mixer, but its utility is unquestionable.

It also has the added bonus of reinvigorating the RUN FOR COVER MOTHERFUCKER Facebook fan page which has received a deluge of spam-like weather updates.

There's a lot to pleased with this year and I have an inkling things are only going to get better.

A New Frontier

2011-05-17T19:10:00.003+08:00

Back in November, I mentioned how impressed I was with the potential of Vlogging on audiences. You could get your message across, convey more humour, and generate a lot of attention.

As I love doing all of these things, I didn't let the hit of inspiration just wither away and die. I had a day off today, and spent most of it polishing my new product and preparing to unleash it on the world.

The time has come for me to enter the world of Video Logging, otherwise known as vlogging. And I don't mind my first attempt. Rather than blather about it, I'd prefer to just see how it goes, or maybe you should see how it goes...

What does this mean for my current blog? Nothing at the moment, but it'll be fun to see how it goes.

Some Thoughts and a Personal Challenge

2011-05-14T11:49:00.002+08:00

Been a while since I blogged. My apologies. The past few weekends and work have been semi-crazy. For the weekends in good ways, and for work in bad ways. But the ship's righted itself now, and I'm blogging from a happy - and clear-headed place - on this rainy Saturday in Sinagpore.

But more on that later.

I saw a dear friend off the other night, he was here for six weeks for work. While that's the official reason, I think the universe conspired to have someone close to me here while I settled in. The fact he was staying just two blocks away from my apartment for the majority confirms this suspicion.

The move here has been nothing short of unbelievable, and to have someone here to basically hold my hand while I settle and be a vessel for bouncing thoughts and feelings off has been a privilege. Plus we had some bloody good times. The one that springs to memory the most was when two other friends were in town for Thailand. Two bottles of Bacardi, an amazing venue, classic tunes, and three great friends. For those of you who didn't read the constant praise we were all heaping on the night via Facebook here's the summary:

Sensational weather
Magical company
Glorious food
At least two power-spews
Diving in the adjacent pool to the sounds of Missing
Lost keys
Many, many laughs

A top five experience for sure.

But I alluded to being clear-headed on a Saturday. What gives? Well in my latest "I'm Gonna" (let's face it, I have a lot of projects that I never quite fully see through) is that I'm not drinking for two months.

What's provoked this? A desire to lose weight and get the metabolism on track. I just hope it goes better than my last effort. Add to this, in two months from yesterday (when I started) it's my 28th birthday. A pretty good milestone and reward to strive for.

So that's that. I'm not drinking. Had my first test last night when I rocked out to the tunes of James Zabiela at Zouk. Personally the night was a privilege and I didn't really need the assistance of alcohol, but the test came when my two friends hit the d-floor with jugs of some concoction and basically tried pouring it down my throat! I fortunately didn't cave, it would be a really piss-poor effort only lasting less than 24 hours. Besides, the natural energy in the room was more than enough.

Lastly, I have some good news on that other project I used to always blog about: my writing. I've resumed my Masters of Writing and commence my next unit on the 30th May. I couldn't be more excited. Life was pretty crazy the past 8-9 months, hence the postponement, but now that things are back on track I can't wait to further my education.

And that'll do for now.

I'm Back

2011-04-26T22:25:00.003+08:00

Zing. I wish I had a typewriter. You know that satisfying 'Ting' sound it makes after completing a new line? That's how I feel at the moment. Like a 'Ting'.

What the hell am I talking about? It's that project I started almost two years ago. That thing called a book that I was interested in writing. The one that I'd done a large slab of, and then had wiled away time with excuses and blocks. I was literally stuck. And now I'm unstuck.

I've studied writing literature, in fact, according to my course convenor, I should be eligible for an exemption and have my Graduate Certificate in Writing soon. They tell you that 'writer's block' is a myth. That the white page can be overcome, that it's just a case of working through it with rigour and exercise.

All of that might be true, but when you're writing about yourself and the colourful life you've lived, certain sensitivities come to fruition that impede progress. It was these sensitivities that prevented me from going any further with my tale, and it's languished as a result. Part of me knew that moving here might give the creative juices a creative kick-start, I just didn't know it would come after having a shit of a day on my least favourite day of the week.

It's not like I was struck by a lightning bolt, I have been investing a lot of thought on how to attack my life's subject matter and translate it into the rest of the book since I came here, but I think the long weekend helped significantly. Typically I'd be socialising almost exhaustively on a holiday weekend, but this weekend was filled with introspection and enjoying my own company.

Then today, a quote from a dear friend of mine popped into my head and gave me the kick in the pants I needed. It encapsulated everything I was about and gave me license to invoke the key-typing fingers of fury again.

What's the quote?

I guess you'll have to read the book to find out. But I promise it will be finished.

Initial Observations about Singapore: Part 1

2011-04-13T07:35:00.002+08:00

I've had this germinating in my head for a while. I'm making it a Part 1 as I'm sure there'll be future occurrences that will continue to astound and confound me.

It's fucking hot
The first thing I thought before coming here was that 30-degree days everyday would be some sort of paradise, after all, some of the best days I've had in Australia have been around this temperature. But I didn't factor in the humidity. Looking at a cloudy sky and sweating your dick off is not an ideal situation. Especially when it happens every day without fail.
People get bored here
Not much of an observation, hey? People get bored everywhere. But I get asked of locals - what do you do with your spare time? With the insinuation that there is nothing to do here. I counter with something along the lines of: between travelling around, having people visit you, games of FIFA on my XBox360, playing online poker, drinking at the various bars, eating at the many food destinations, shopping for essentials, writing, and dealing with my addiction to Facebook... what spare time? I'd be doing the same thing in Sydney!
Banter is non-existent
What do I mean by banter? The usual chit-chat you'd exchange around the office or in a cab. Talking shit. I am built for this, my whole day revolves around lackadaisical observations that are perceived as cool stories and yet this doesn't really happen here. My first trip in a cab I launched into a somewhat bland note that the weather was different here to Australia. Normally that would generate all sorts of colourful expressions from a cab driver. Not here.
"You're not from here are you?"
"No."
Silence. The same applies in the office, but I'm threatening to circumvent that with much yelling across the room of late.
They love their food
You don't just sit down and have a drink with these people. As a matter of fact I can't remember a session I've had where this has happened. You sit down, order a drink, and all of a sudden someone remembers it's compulsory to have food with your drink. Of course, silly me. I'm not really pooh-poohing it, it's just something that's taken some adjusting to. Some of the best drinking sessions I've had have been at places like Strattons. And there you need to be very drunk to order the food.

So there you have four quasi-negative points about Singapore and where I'm living now. Am I loving it? Yes. A change is indeed a holiday and while I'm still dumbstruck by some of the concepts I'm wrapping my head around, I wouldn't have it any other way. Work's been challenging, but I have to keep reminding myself that this would be the case with any new job I was starting. Let alone in another country.

Feeling the Beat

2011-04-10T20:18:00.003+08:00

So I'm listening to Gabriel & Dresden fresh from a Skype call with my Mum. I always wondered why travellers would tout its virtues, but I'm a fresh convert. Being able to see and hear people makes a world of difference to how you cope abroad, and my only complaint is that I can't think of everything I want to say when time aligns. I was a phone whore back in Australia, and I'm barely getting my fix here!

Last post I was acknowledging my homesickness, and it was probably an accurate reflection of one of the lows I was experiencing. While I love to post, brag, and share as much as I can while I'm here, I am guilty of putting a positive spin on things a bit much, and I think acknowledging the challenge of being far away from friends and family was cathartic in a way.

Fortunately, I've been lucky enough to get a chance to see two of my besties in Chiang Mai. At relatively short notice I jumped on a plane and visited a magical city that my friends have been raving about. The trip was short, sweet, and envy-inducing. As much as I love my job, the networking and what I do, part of me wishes I could just kick back and revel in the work-from-home lifestyle my friends enjoy. It was a pretty magical experience for me in amongst all the drinking and food, and I'll definitely return.

But I have to get some more travel out of the way first! On another whim I booked flights and accommodation to Kuala Lumpur. I have the travel bug and I have it bad. The advice I received once I arrived in Singapore was to get as much travel in as I could, and I've certainly looked to maintain that.

Another friend is in town now! Unfortunately he works seven days a week while he is here, but it's bloody good to have a dinner buddy in tow that lets you debrief. The other night we had beers, frog, dumplings and shredded pork. And he queried why I was grinning so much - pretty happy to have a visitor was my answer. It really doesn't get much better.

Now that I'm a bit more settled here, I'm looking to resume my Masters. It's been on the back-burner for a while now, and I'm keen to resume as I've got the itch. Hopefully that will result in taking the book off the shelf and finishing it off too.

I just hit a wall. It was a big, big weekend with two nights of heavy boozing, and I'll be thankful for some rest. I'll tell you the rest later ;-)

With Or Without You

2011-03-26T10:26:00.005+08:00

Saturday morning reflection times with some yum cha in my belly. I've just about clocked up a month here and it's starting to feel like the long haul now, rather than the initial feelings that were holiday-like.

By that I mean I'm starting to get the odd pang of homesickness. I thought I was prepared as I've spent the last three years away from what I'd consider home base in Melbourne, but I had such a tight network of friends in Sydney that part of me is bitter about missing out on the good times.

Facebook is a double-edged sword. It's fantastic for keeping abreast of shenanigans, but at the same time it reminds you you're not a part of the shenanigans.

But it's funny how things work, three years ago I was probably experiencing the same feelings when I moved to Sydney, I can vaguely recall lamenting not having anybody to talk to on the phone. That changed over time - so much so that I barely remember feeling lonely there.

It's just the odd pang though. As a friend would say, it's a marathon not a sprint mate, and my pace has kept me in good stead. I'm relishing the challenge, and the bar for what I could achieve here keeps getting pushed further, even within this short period of time. It's ridiculous what's going on here, and it's hard not to be proud.

I move into my pad today. To say I'm excited is an understatement. It's a guilty treat. It will be good to finally plant some roots here. And show it off to my friends. I'm going to have a dinner party once I'm settled, as I can in this place (it has a dining room). But also, I have a number of friends coming through in the coming months - I think we have people coming through April, May, June and July thus far. Combine that with my own travel plans and I think I'm going to be okay.

But there's always going to be that odd pang of homesickness.

Feel so bohemian like you

2011-03-13T11:11:00.004+08:00

I'm sitting in my shophouse and the Bohemian Like You came on while I was listening to old MP3s. The memories came flooding back, good times were had around the time that song was out. And it got me thinking about this new adventure I've embarked on, and whether there'll be songs that stand out in my head.

I remember when I left for Sydney, it was The End (Dirty South Remix), I even remember blogging about it and how apprehensive I was and how I was wondering how things would unfold.

I'm yet to find a song that defines this transition, but rest assured it will be something that triggers new memories too.

So I'm sitting at the end of my second week in Singapore and things have progressed a bit since the first week. The sheen has not wore off yet and everything is still a fresh experience. Especially the food, when it comes to the food I'm a man possessed, I'm not much of a photographer but I keep feeling obligated into taking snaps of the chow. Like what I gorged myself on last night when I got home.

But I transgress. I've achieved a few things this week as well. I got my first business trip under the belt, heading to Krabi for a conference on all things digital for our company and the region. It was an honour to be in the same room as some of the brightest minds in the business, and an opportunity I would have normally have to wait years for if I stayed in Australia. The pinnacle for me was presenting. My boss asked me to present the Singaporean digital landscape on our company's behalf and I lapped up the opportunity. It wasn't a long presentation, but the adrenaline rush I got from standing in front of my peers and nailing something was something else.

I actually got a bit swept away afterwards, calling Mum and waking her and then another friend and just debriefing about a new career highlight that had just been achieved.

I've managed to get the menial out of the way too. I now have an Employment Pass (the Singaporean equivalent of a Visa) and a bank account. I've looked at three places now and have signalled my intent for one of them. Waiting to hear back about that today.

I think once I have my own place I'll be truly settled. Then there's two things that need doing. One is to show my friends the town as they come through on their various travels, and the other is to do some travelling myself. I can't wait to go to Chiang Mai and see what the big deal is with some dear friends who live over there, and I also can't wait to just find some locations off the beaten track.

I'm subscribed to the travel newsletters now, and will be watching them like a hawk.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm about to rustle up some lunch with a pretty lady!

And I'm Here

2011-03-01T09:43:00.002+08:00

Wow, I really wasn't kidding around when I said 2011 was going to be my last year in Sydney. That sure escalated quickly. Oh Lordy, what have I done to myself? In the space of three weeks I went from brohemian, brunch-loving Newtownian, to fish-out-of-water, international travelling neophyte.

And the verdict? In the words of DJ Pied Piper and The Master of Ceremonies: I'm loving it, loving it, loving it, I'm loving it like this.

I knew my friends were right, I knew the travel thing had to be done, but what I didn't know, and what I'm quickly coming to realise, is that this is pure awesome.

****

I arrived in Singapore and the first thing I noticed was the carpet. It was an ugly shade of black, grey and maroon squares. But then I looked up, and realised I was in an airport, and that I shouldn't get stuck on such pitifully dull details on my first sojourn through an international airport.

I walked out and after making sure I had all my necessary documentation, walked into a guard and asked with a faint tinge of trembling: "How do I get out of here?"

"Down that way", he said with a smile.

Being subjected to Border Security on Australian TV had me quaking in my shoes at the prospect of passing through immigration. I was envisaging savage customs officials, machine guns, and maybe a rapier.

Instead, there was smiles, stamping, and a pleasant bid on my way.

I've never experienced duty-free shopping. I've heard murmurs of what it encompasses, and the vast, bountiful value that accompanies these purchases. But 1 Litre of Smirnoff for $18 SGD?!?! Yes please. I also grabbed three Tiger cans for under $6 bucks. They came in handy later.

Picking up my luggage was wait-free, and I rather expertly got into a taxi and pointed the driver in the right direction. Perhaps the way in which I accomplished this task had gone to my head, because when I got to the street I was staying in the taxi driver exploded. I didn't say I had a Visa Card. How the shit am I meant to pay for it!

So I fucked up my first cab experience. We drove to an ATM and I got some cash out and paid the good man. I then walked up to the address I was given and had no idea where the agent was. I stood around scratching my head. I called her from a phone on my way through the airport but she was nowhere to be seen. I pondered what to do, as I didn't have a phone and figuring out a local telephone box with a currency I haven't used before seemed like way too much effort given I'd just been in the air for eight hours.

"Luke?!"

I have to say, it's was the first surreal experience in another country. Another country where you know fuck-all people. Another country where you don't expect to hear your name. I smirked. I think the penny dropped there and then that I was in for a fun ride, even the simplest little things are going to take on new meaning, and this was only the beginning.

Of course, it was the estate agent. She let me into the shophouse, and we navigated three lots of stairs to get to my pad. After an inventory check and receiving the critical "dongle" for Internet, she bade me farewell and I couldn't stop smiling. I was in my apartment, in another country, with absolutely no idea what to do.

Before I left, I spied a 7/11 on Google Maps right next to where I was, so I decided I'd go to that and get some mixer for my vodka. I grabbed my orange fruit drink, paid for it while fumbling around for the correct money, and scurried back to my pad.

I was pretty tired, and after slamming the vodka down, I had my first fitful sleep fighting between the sound of the air-conditioner blasting, and wallowing in the heat.

****

And that's how I got here. It's now my second day of work and I'm settling in. New market to learn, new procedures but I'm prepared for the challenge.

This aside, I'm now sure coming here was one of the best decisions of my life.

Impending Luminosity

2011-02-17T14:36:00.004+08:00

Flights booked, accommodation sorted, passport (almost) on its way.

I'm right in the middle of a push to make overseas happen and I'm winning. I don't want to jinx what's going down but it's immensely satisfying getting through the rigamarole that unfurls when one decides to relocate.

I've got that same, nervous but assured sense of discontent in my belly that is ridiculously comforting. Comforting insomuch as I feel like I'm making the most of an opportunity presented to me and seizing it with two hands. This is happening. Happening it is. I can't believe after sub-conscious and conscious procrastinating I'm actually going abroad.

And I've been touched by the overwhelming positive feedback I've been getting.

"I'm so proud of you," friends have said.

"I'm so freaking jealous," others say.

And my favourite after getting told I'll be travelling to Thailand in my second week of work:

"Have you slept with a leprechaun or something?"

Maybe I have. Maybe I have.

I'm finishing up at my work desk this evening as I have Playground Weekender tomorrow - a multi-day festival that will be a great way to finish off my penultimate weekend in Australia. The majority of my crew will be up for it and it will be filled with quality time, good conversation and what a few of us like to dub: the Nectar of the Gods.

Word on the street is it's going to rain but there's no way it will dampen our sense of fun.

I come back from that on Sunday night, ready to hit overdrive with getting rid of things, a health check, and many an individual farewell. Then next Sunday, oh Lordy, Lordy, Lordy, next Sunday I hit the skies.

And I've got a feeling this is going to be even better than I'm expecting.

Destination Known

2011-02-09T10:04:00.006+08:00

I've been working in media three years now, and despite this length of time, it never ceases to surprise, impress, or even startle me.

The past few weeks are my case in point.

My last update consisted of me rambling about where I'm going and where, and stated it was my last year in Sydney. I said this knowing it would be. What I didn't know, was that it would also be close to my last month.

Events transpired rather quickly.

On Australia Day I got royally hammered in the sun, there was a new cider going around called Brothers and it went down pretty well. I got to dance with some of my best friends and generally engage in tomfoolery. On the way to another party, I drunkenly checked my work email on my phone for reasons unfathomable to sober me. There was an email that piqued my interest immediately from the Singapore office:

"I’m reaching out with a pretty awesome opportunity for one of you to live and work in Singapore for a few months as a Digital Media Planner. We just had a position open up and would love to seize the opportunity to bring in a talented individual from one of our other UM offices to learn an exciting new market.

In this role, you would be responsible for all things digital; from pre-campaign strategy to post-campaign reporting and all points in between..."

I was all over it like a fallen sack of potatoes. I called up my mother, babbled drunkenly, then debriefed with friends. As soon as I got into the office on Thursday I'd emailed Singapore. This was for me. I can do this. I will own this.

While this was going on however, the team I was within were waiting to hear the news I've been hinting at, whether or not we'd maintained the client. The news was broken last Friday on the Internet, before any of us had found out. The team was a mess, but at the back of my mind I was wondering what would come of the Singapore opportunity.

I didn't have to wait long. After a meeting with the CEO, MD and my director it was game on. A couple of phone calls later and the offer has been made. Move to Singapore, at the end of the month, with a relocation package.

Boom.

I cried tears of happiness as soon as I got off the phone, the dream is continuing but on a scale that I've never considered before. It's going to be a challenge but one that I've clearly been gearing up for.

Overseas here we come.

2011: Ending something, or beginning?

2011-01-24T18:10:00.003+08:00

So my last entry was a bit on the glum side, and to be honest, I entered 2011 with the glumness semi-continuing. It's been hard to shake off this work stuff, but I've persevered and it looks like things are starting to come good. However the situation unfolds now, it will see me in a good position, and ready to kick some arse.

I guess the turning point was talking to two of my old colleagues - and getting their perspective on things. I voiced my thoughts and they were nothing but pillars of support. I've been in digital media three years now, and I'm starting to command some genuine respect amongst my peers. It felt good to hear this respect, and no matter how I decide to take on this year, it's going to hold me in good stead.

How will I take on this year? Well it depends on how this work situation unfolds. What is this situation I keep referring to? Well, it's hard to explain unless you're in media, but essentially the client I work for is realigning their agency - which may or may not include us. I'll know in a week or so what's happening, and it will be good to have some direction. I say direction, but really, it's more catalysts for change. I think this will be my last year in Sydney, as overseas is beckoning. There are one or two things that might keep me here for a bit longer, but essentially my heart is yearning for travel. I've done Australia, my demons are behind me, and there's no more excuses.

I've been talking my intentions through with friends and colleagues and the response has been encouraging. It makes sense and it's clearly something I've invested a lot of thought in - now I just need to rub out my debt and make dreams a reality. And if there's one thing I've proven to myself it's that dreams are the sort of thing I like to chase.

On a lighter note, one dream is over. My time on my beloved Inthemix has ended by my own choosing. I retired. In the end, I like doing things on my own terms and the site isn't the same as I once knew it. Yes, I flagrantly start attention on the thing, but it's no longer an enjoyable vehicle for my rants on the Internet. I started off sharing my life on OpenDiary in 2001 and haven't really looked back, I essentially changed the vessel around 2005-2006 to ITM, and now it's time for another change of vessel, I no longer get the kicks from sharing what I have to say on there after 15,000 posts, and for better or worse I chose to end on a high note (ie. a final thread). I've made the majority of the friends I have today either directly or indirectly through the thing and I'm not going to bear ill will towards something that's given me so much. So salutations you old devil of a website you, maybe now instead of starting threads I can invest some time on here.

But what exactly is this blog apart from a vehicle for my concerns? I think in my next entry I'll set something in writing aside from 'The Scrawlings of Marshwah' as my 'angle'. And run with it. I'm leaning towards three options: keep it as it is, make it more about digital media and what's happening in the industry, or turn it into a vehicle for overshare. Actually, next time I'll do a list of the pros and cons of each.

Stay tuned.

It's an End of Year Sort of Thing

2010-12-26T10:07:00.002+08:00

I'm cracking my fingers. Licking my lips. Have the tunes going, and am sitting down at my native keyboard.

But there's not much to report. I'm sitting in an apartment in Brisbane lamenting the weather and refreshing my Facebook and Twitter. The cricket isn't providing the sort of entertainment I envisaged.

I'm here with my family. It was a necessary move this year after avoiding the family Christmas last year. I was appreciative of the family time and stuffed myself senseless this year, but a part of me just couldn't get into it. I'm not sure what's placed me in this mini-funk, but if I could hazard a guess I would say it's a combination of amalgamated hangovers blended into one, and what's going on with work.

There's not much I can say about it on a public forum, but needless to say it's a shade unsettling and I'm looking forward to the resolution I'll have half-way through January.

I doubt I'll update again before the year's end, and while my history of sticking to them is chequered, I'd like to make a couple of resolutions.

1. Gym: three times a week at least regularly.

2. Book: Complete in 2011.

Short and simple. And totally achievable.

I wouldn't mind some travel either. Watch this space.

Thinking Big

2010-11-22T09:43:00.003+08:00

Updating this has been at the back of my mind for the last week, but I have been rather time-poor. In amongst work, socialising, and hammering Fifa 11 I haven't had the chance to piece together an articulate entry, so you get this instead.

I've always considered myself a bit of a social media whore. I've kept my life relatively public since 2001 and have traversed the online landscape, with ICQ, discovering forums back in 2005, and even online dating (can't post links to that from work but I would be game).

I've kept it relatively stable these days and have learned some lessons. You'll notice I don't mention anybody else's name in this blog, and I'm a bit more polite on this than I am on Inthemix. I guess you get a feel for what you can or can't say across social media and what the effects are.

Or so I thought.

Three things happened over the weekend that made me reassess my social media presence, and made it seem quite small by comparison to others. The first, was my uploading my first Youtube video. There was a call-to-action through work for a video entry telling your (interesting) story to try and get a trip to New York. Being the game person I am, I submitted an entry recalling my attempts to get into media, and eventual success and struggles. It can be seen here. (Sorry can't be bothered looking at how to embed video).

Feeling aspirational, I checked out what other people have done. I stumbled across communitychannel. This was nothing short of awesome. Natalie Tran has built a cult following across the Internet by sharing skits and self-deprecating witticisms and broadcasting them for all the world to see. It's the number one channel in Australia for Youtube and in the Top 50 for the world. The level of overshare is epic, maybe not as protruding as some of my online gaffes, but definitely more endearing.

The third thing that happened was seeing The Social Network. Now let's face it. I'm ambitious but I'm never going to catch up to Mark Zuckerberg. I openly self-cringed when I saw the opening scenes of him blogging about his ex-girlfriend. Ah, my OpenDiary anyone? I pretty much did the same thing to my ex and others. Sorry about that folks - we live and learn!

So what did these three revelatory explorations facilitate for an aspirational social media whore? Do I need to ramp it up? Should I start a video blog? Can there ever really be too much online Marshy/Marshwah?

I'm thinking... nah, and if anything the combination of the above three experiences has only spurred me on to do more.

Run for cover motherfucker ;-)

My Baseline is Increasing

2010-10-21T05:15:00.002+08:00

We all have a baseline.

And a lot of my friends would think of basslines when I mention them. But while basslines do tend to enhance my contentment levels as a dance music fan, I'm more talking about the a sense of wellbeing and contentment overall.

My baseline is increasing.

It's a gradual thing. But yep, I'm pretty sure that I'm finding basic things more enjoyable than two, five, or even ten years ago. I read the other day that you are at your happiest when you are 50, and while Google doesn't turn up a conclusive answer, I'm definitely nodding my head in some form of agreement.

When I first moved to Sydney, I had a couple of mates come up and stay, and I debated with one of them.

"Surely your twenties are the best, it's when you can party as an adult and not feel guilty."

"Nup", my friend emphatically stated, "as a 30-odd year-old I can confidently state the last year has been the best of my life."

I guess these little musings augur well for me then. And reiterate what I'm saying. As my life's progressing, I'm just finding more to find delight in.

And that's not really a bad thing at all.

The Grass Is Greener

2010-09-30T05:50:00.004+08:00

I'm updating from my new desk. Well it doesn't feel as new as it did, given that I've been here five weeks, but it's quite alright.

Virtually all of my friends have asked me at some stage how I feel about my role now that I've made the leap over, and my answer usually comes in repeated iterations of two key words: love it, love it, love it.

I'm voyeuristic-ally vindicated. Pleasantly perplexed. Obviously obfuscating. It doesn't really matter what alliteration I throw into this entry, one fact remains the same, I'm happy to be here. Any tentative misgivings I had about moving to Sydney have ebbed away, I've reached my goal, and now I need to shift the goal posts further.

The Summer's in. I saw the personal trainer this morning. I've been going twice a week for the past four weeks. It's expensive, and I'm going to lose my bet, but I've definitely made a change for the better, and have made a habit adjustment for the better. My next little goal is to start cycling to work again, as we're in a different location, the light's better now, and it should be easier to reach from where I am. Let's hope I don't get clipped by a taxi again!

The writing's taking a backseat while I settle into my new role. I took a term off as I didn't want the distraction of something else while I was still finding my feet, but now that I'm back in alignment I'm looking forward to getting back into it. I should get credit for one of my subjects so will start on second year subjects next term. Bring it on I say.

Life-wise, I'm loving it. I'm in a good place at the moment, getting out and about with new and old friends and really nailing the work/life balance thing. This weekend we have a long weekend, I'm looking forward to watching an epic AFL grand final, getting some errands done, and then letting it all hang loose at Godskitchen - a trance music event that will have plenty of visuals.

I've got a good feeling about the rest of the year, I can feel some good energy coming my way.

Watch this space.

Getting Off One Train, and Jumping On Another

2010-08-24T17:53:00.002+08:00

It is with a bittersweet taste that I write this entry. And I’m not just referring to the beer that’s in my mouth. I’m sitting at my work desk with the intentions of updating my blog, and I’m not at a loss of words to say what I want to say but am more feeling an underlying reluctance.

I’m glad to be leaving.

I don’t leave with bad blood or any ill will towards anyone I’ve worked here with but overall, after seven weeks of waiting to start a job that I wanted to start the second I got the offer, I’m glad to be leaving.

Now that’s said, I can get the other tidbits out of the way. I’m not going back to uni next term. With the start of the new job will come increased scrutiny, workload, and pressure. While I bit off more than I can chew this semester I’m still proud of my accomplishments. But going into a new job and trying to study at the same time just doesn’t seem like a good idea. Add to that I should get credit for the fourth subject (Journalism) in this course thanks to my undergrad degree – and I’ll have a Graduate Certificate in Arts (Writing). Not bad for six months.

What this does do, is open up the opportunity to commence the book again. It’s been on hiatus for the last six months and I’m really keen to sink my teeth in again. I’ve been thinking about how I can develop it and there is two things that stick in mind. The first is about what’s already been accomplished, and I think it could benefit from a re-write, I’m literally going to force myself to print out the work and re-type it word for word but in a more succinct/detailed style. I know this is a paradox – but there are passages that can benefit from culling, and there are passages that could benefit from much more detail. I’ve received a lot of feedback from the people I’ve chosen to share it with and the overwhelming message I’m receiving is ‘needs more detail!’ So that’s what I intend to do.

The second element is a bit more risqué, and could annoy family and my more conservative friends. That will be a more no-holds barred take on what’s happened since Perth and I’m not going to shy away from details about certain things. I’ve had quite a long time to think about it, and the book in its current state would be an omission of the whole story if I chose to end it where it lies. I think it would benefit from hearing what’s happened to me and where I’m at now.

The trouble is – is it interesting enough to be a book? Based on my past six months of thinking and learning with the Masters, I think it is, and I can’t wait to get stuck into some more writing. My trick of heading to Kiama for some coastal and Marshy time may be realised again sooner rather than later. I’m actually thinking next weekend would be a good time as it’s easier to make plans and stick to them before other things arise.

I’ll keep you posted on how I go.

The Life Plan

2010-08-03T07:56:00.002+08:00

So I'm in for a busy week or so as I try and round off the end of this semester for uni. I've got two major assessments due on Monday and am looking to knock them on the head. I'm prepared though, and provided I don't get too distracted on the weekend it should allow me to see them through.

I'm writing from my beloved Melbourne this time. It's my last day of leave here and part of a "mini" holiday I am privy to before I begin my new job. I've got just over four weeks left in the old one before I jump straight in. To say I'm looking forward to it is an understatement of gargantuan proportions.

While I've been staying here I've been assessing what the next steps are with the whole life thing. I've come to a few conclusions. I'm gunning for Thailand in late November this year. That's a given. I haven't been overseas yet, have some of my best friends over there and I'm running out of excuses and youth. This is a no-brainer. The next steps for me career-wise are set in stone as well. I'm an account manager. I moved to Sydney with the objective of becoming one and I've nailed it. I'm looking forward to consolidating on what I've achieved and throwing myself into an industry that I've worked hard to thrive in. It will be challenging but that's what I signed up for when I moved to Sydney. So I guess in a way that's a no-brainer too.

The third phase of this will be an extended jaunt overseas. After this stage of my career I want to work abroad. In Europe specifically. I'm going to do the party thing, the working thing, the exploring yourself thing. And it's going to be everything I imagined and more. Of this I am sure. I'll miss my friends, but a perennial side-effect of staying in Australia has meant that more often than not I have friends abroad as well that I miss seeing, and this time I'll be the one that will be missed. Plus there's bound to be friends abroad around the same time. Of this I am even more sure.

I don't know how long phase three of the plan will be. It's hard to mete out these kind of things. And it would be foolish to. I'm measuring out a piece of string and leaving it at that.

Then, placed tentatively at the back of my mind, is the decision about where to settle down afterwards. Provided I return, I see myself either buying a property in the inner-West of Sydney, or plonking myself into an apartment in Melbourne's Southbank. Both options are attractive to me, and it will really hinge on where my friends are around that time and who I keep in touch with.

I came to Melbourne not really knowing what to expect or whether I'd arrive at these conclusions, but coming back home has really proven a catalyst for articulating what I plan to do with my life. Seeing friends and family again has helped facilitate this, and it feels good to have an idea of where I want to go with my life after all these years.

There's a whole myriad of things that could go wrong. My love life, the ever-present bipolar, unforeseen tragedies... but that's what makes life exciting, and I'm not in a hurry to predict whether I'll be spouting the same self-revelatory epiphanies in a year's time.

But it will be interesting nonetheless.

Rejection and Aspiration

2010-07-18T10:36:00.006+08:00

Sunday afternoon and I'm sitting here listening to the progressive tunes of Sasha Le Monnier. I got some sets off a friend and haven't been listening to much else since. I'm loving it.

So I missed out on the scholarship I mentioned. The whole process was quite rewarding though in that it put me on the spot. I had to format and edit my manuscript into a presentable form, and also come up with two pages on why I thought it was worthy of being published. While the brief suggested that it wasn't a pitch - it felt like one - so much so that I was enthused enough to go approach some literary agents about my script.

I looked up some Australian agents and came across this site, the Australian Literary Agents Association and emailed a few of the representatives with the contact details supplied. I'm not sure what I was expecting, and knew that it's quite hard to get an agent, but the responses were still pretty discouraging! My favourite response was in reply to my email about my story being one that needs to be told:

“Yes these are stories that need to be told but unfortunately publishers don't. Sorry I can't help.”

A bit of a crash back to reality for this lofty, aspiring author. I'll get there though.

In other news I have a new job! It's all happened rather quickly, but it's exciting all the same. I'll now be moving to another agency as a digital account manager. Back in '06 I wrote about my attempts to get into advertising, and back then I was entertaining the first thoughts of moving to Sydney. Two years later I did move, and two years later I've achieved my goal of becoming an account manager. Now that I've got there I need to move the goalposts! The next big milestone will be international travel - I'm still gunning for Thailand late November and hopefully the new role will allow it - I'm crossing my fingers!

Writing-wise uni has taken over. I'm doing two subjects this semester and proving quite tough. I've dedicated today to get some more done. I'm keeping afloat, it's just my affinity for having fun on the weekend does eat into my study time.

I have to wait quite a while before I start my role thanks to my current job stipulating an eight-week waiting period in the contract. Not to worry though, it will be good to have a protracted send-off from a company I've loved working for before I take the next steps into a new and challenging job.

Long Weekend

2010-06-13T17:51:00.004+08:00

It wasn't until this afternoon that I realised I hadn't had face-to-face contact with anyone since Friday night. After I chatted to my housemate and exchanged pleasantries, I went back to my room realising that I do this every now and then.

When I was living at college, surrounded by some 250 people 24/7, these times were few and far between. "Marshtime" my neighbour would say as I returned from a day's retreat. Yesterday was "Marshtime" and it has been a while since such a day has occurred.

I've had another couple of weigh-ins since my last entry. I've now put away 5.5kg. I'm feeling good about things, but beginning to realise that it's only going to get tougher. Whenever I'm training and thinking: hey, I'm feeling kind of fit now, some trigger will be set off making me realise I've got a long way to go. Whether that be panting after a long set of stairs, getting absolutely hammered by my personal trainer, or even looking at my paunch in the reflection of a shop window. I'll get there though, I've got resolve.

The other day I received in the mail confirmation of receipt of my scholarship application. My book's taken a backseat for the last month or so as I focus my efforts on winning this thing. I got my application done and posted it off, I find out if I'm shortlisted on the 30th of this month. I don't know what to expect really. I've put a lot of work into the manuscript and think it will one day make a great read. Whether or not it is deserving of editorial accolade and praise is another matter, and I have absolutely zero idea about the competition out there. All I know is that I'm competing with any number of Australians under the age of 30 who can write either fiction or non-fiction. I'd love to get some sort of editorial assistance regardless.

Uni has also taken a backseat, I've just begun the second semester and am getting off to a slow start. I will catch up tomorrow after watching our Socceroos take on Germany in this year's World Cup. It's hard not to get swept away in the excitement and spectacle, and for me I like this event much better than the Olympics. It seems more pure, more on the line, than the bloated extravaganza that features equestrian, badminton and table-tennis.

Another little writing exercise I have to fret over, outside of professional and academic pursuits, is a little ditty for next weekend's cocktail party. Three (;-) good friends are hosting it under the moniker: Erotic Fan Fiction. Some people are expected to contribute, including my good self.

I've got an inkling of what I'm going to write about, Sandra Sully Solo-Session has a nice ring to it I think. Will I be game to post the end-result up here?

Getting On With It

2010-05-25T10:50:00.003+08:00

First weigh-in after two weeks of solid exercise and food documenting. I think I pulled 10 sessions over the past two weeks, mixing it up with: weights program, spin class, boxing, Body Pump, and a personal-trainer session that I shared with a friend.

The result: 2.5kg down. I was talking on MSN the other day and an optimistic friend suggested: 1.25kg x 24 = 30kg = results blown out of the water = science.

Given that I'm aiming to reduce 20kgs in six months - it looks like things are on track.

I was also keeping a Food Diary. This detailed what I ate for the last two weeks. I posted it up on the Inthemix Forums ready to be slated. It served a binary purpose: one, a wake-up call that I have a long way to go with this, and two, to illustrate what I'm currently eating and keep myself accountable.

I plugged the results into Calorie King and I came out in the clear, but that's almost exclusively due to exercise - I can eat much better and will be aiming to do this. I'm still keeping the food diary - it's a habit I like.

But this isn't a weight-loss blog! (Yet). Work's going well - starting to get a better feel for my clients and becoming quicker at the day-to-day tasks. I thought my previous experience in this field would augur well for me - and it has to a degree - but I'm rapidly realising that I still have a long way to go down the digital media path.

How this path unfolds is still yet-to-be-decided, I'm still keen to pursue copywriting, but think I'll focus on my Masters for now rather than taking on any additional courses. The AFA AdSchool piqued my interest but the $2,000 price tag for a course was a little out of price-range. I think I'm going to gun for Award School in March next year - it's competitive, but I'm determined.

It's around this time of year that I start thinking about my tax-return too. How much will it be? What will I spend it on? Can I put it to good use? This answer I think I can. I'm setting it aside so I can go to Thailand in November to see two dear friends. Hopefully with all the kerfuffle going on I will be able to get a cheap flight. As I've mentioned in the past - I really need to bust my travel cherry.

I'm languishing as a 26-year old and the time to strike is nigh. Once Thailand is conquered I'm setting my sights on the UK. Ibiza in September next year, then a working holiday in the UK and seeing the rest of Europe.

Planning Marshwah is planning.

Socially things are humming along, Winter hasn't seemed to dull any of my friends' enthusiasm for going out and this Saturday I have a friend's birthday to attend. I'm keen to try out the cider I just purchased from Thorogoods. I got a mixture of six bottles - and two or three of them on the weekend ought to keep me chatty enough without going overboard. I'm in two minds about drinking given my new-found fervour for fitness, but controlling it seems to be better than abstinence.

A New Me

2010-05-13T10:39:00.005+08:00

Right now I'm feeling a slight ache all over. It's not mind-numbingly painful, more the relaxed kind of ache you get after a workout.

Whoa- workout?

That's right. After a year and half of listening to my housemate and friend get in my ear about going to gym, I bit the bullet and joined. And I don't do things in halves. It's all-or-nothing in my world. And what a world it is.

Since coming back from holiday, I've done a program, personal trainer session, body pump class, weights session, and gone for a long walk. I started a thread about it. The crux of it being that if drop 20kg within six months - and keep it off - I win $200 bucks. There's some motivation.

More motivation comes via the fact there's shitty picture of myself at current weight (105.9kg last weigh-in). The vain part of me needs to deliver. I want to be looking good come 7th November - just in time for Summer too.

It's not all vanity, I want to start eating better. My current habits see me subsisting off carbs, carbs, and more carbs. It doesn't help that I'm ekeing out an existence in media-land and that the bread here is free, but my days for excuses are now extinct. I'm making myself accountable, for the next two weeks (and probably thereafter) I'm keeping a food diary. At the end of two weeks I'm going to open myself to the slaughter and post it on the web to my friends. Judgment day is nigh and all that.

I've been busy with uni as well. The major assignment was due on Monday. I had a debaucherous Saturday night that saw me belting out John Secada - Just Another Day for a friend's send off. This meant that I had to piece together my brain and smash out a two-thousand worder. No worries, I thought, and smashed out a thousand. Went to the work the next day (the temptation not to was strong), went to gym afterwards (I needed to get the endorphins going so I could write), and managed to smash out the other thousand.

I was quite pleased with the end-result, it's worth 60% - so I should bloody well hope I'm plased. What annoys me though is that I have to enrol in my next semester subjects by tomorrow - yet I still don't know how I've done this semester. I want to know the results to know if I'm capable of doing two subjects (full-time) instead of just one. I think I'm going to bite the bullet and just do two - I'm all about giving myself a challenge these days.

And another challenge has arisen, while browsing through uni stuff I discovered a scholarship for unfinished manuscripts. In case you've been hiding under a rock and/or are unfamiliar with my life I'm writing a book. And have an unfinished manuscript. Details about the scholarship are in the link but essentially it's aimed at young, Australian, unpublished writers - i.e. Me.

I'll be putting my thinking cap on and coming up with a killer application, but the whole process should be quite the learning experience - it would blow my mind if I actually won.

That's it for now. I'm doing boxing class tonight. Bring on the pain I say, it's good.

Travelling home

2010-04-28T10:04:00.003+08:00

Written on the 26/04/2010

I'm sitting on a V/Line train on my way to my beloved home town, Traralgon. It's a far cry from Sydney, but also a welcome sojourn as I cruise through my holidays.

I'm also nursing a bit of a hangover, since getting off the plane to Melbourne it's been rather non-stop. Not that I'm complaining, in the past few days I've managed to catch up with old school friends, Inthemix buddies, and my uni pals too. Now that I'm on my way to the country, it will be good to have a bit of down-time. I'm spending the next couple of days there, and then will return to Melbourne to do more catching up. This time with the poker crew I used to play with, a few more school friends, catch the Bulldogs in action, and rounding it all off with a wedding with two close friends. It's also a farewell for two more close friends, as they are heading off to Thailand.

I'm glad I made the trip back south, as I feel like a respite from work. It's not that I'm getting worn down or anything, it's more that I need a bit of a break after working through Christmas and not having that extra amount of time to do nothing. Doing nothing is important from time to time, and the next couple of days will be all about that. I'm usually a lot more selective with my days off, picking the moments to extend a weekend when there's a big party on, or incorporating some leave next to a public holiday. I call it optimum use of leisure time.

Feeling a shade melancholy

2010-04-18T18:15:00.003+08:00

The weekend's come and gone, and while it wasn't a specatcular affair, I should be feeling more pleased with myself than I actually am. I got to catch up with friends on Friday, Saturday, and today, but all I really wanted to do was curl up under a doona and retreat from the world for a little while.
Which I got to do this afternoon. It was glorious. I watched Interstella 5555, an animation to go alongside Daft Punk's album - Discovery. It was an excellent accompaniment to an album I know inimately.

I was also meant to do some work on the book this weekend. That failed dismally. I'm very poor at working on it with a hangover, and after Friday night at my friends house I was certainly hungover. Yesterday and today I've felt like garbage - runny nose and headachey - but I seem to be coming good now.

There's two things I'm looking forward to this week. Payday (Tuesday) and my trip to Melbourne (Friday). For the latter, I'm actually going for ten days. Which is close to the longest amount of time I've spent there since moving here. Did I say I'm looking forward to it? I've got a few things on, a friend's farewell, a reunion with my old college pals, and a wedding. The main events are spread out though, which will give me plenty of time to see everyone I want to see, without feeling rushed like I usually do.

That'll do for now. Time for an early night, a bit of It's Always Sunny, and a good night's rest before another week of work.

The second album is rarely better than the original

2010-04-12T17:37:00.005+08:00

As is the case with this entry. There will be no magnanimous statements. No ultimatums. Probably a little too much self-reflection, and a bit of ego-stroking. Nothing like my first entry. At all.

I came to work today a little tired. This was mainly due to my conscientious efforts on the weekend involving the Cannes Young Lions awards. While I didn't need to, I was in the office on Saturday and Sunday beavering away. Polishing my little foray into the media world.

But to drop the word conscientious is a shade pretentious, as I was hammering out this blog on Saturday. Procrastination I do well. I'm also engaged in the aforementioned right this moment, as one of the other projects I'm working on at the moment is a Master of Writing through Open Universities. I've taken on just one subject for my opening semester, looking to escalate it to two depending on my results for this one.

The subject I've taken is called Real Life Writing and I'm enjoying it. It's good material for easing back into study and not too rigorous or mind-boggling. There's some good, thought-provoking subject matter as well. We have to write 500 words a week on varying topics. One of the weeks we had to write about:

Write a short review of a piece of sculpture you admire. Include a brief reflection on the language you used when writing about the sculpture.

Not knowing much about sculpture, and wanting to dish out props to a very good friend of mine, I chose to write about the work of Michael Gallop. I wrote about his sculpture: Redolent. As per below:

In Redolent we see a microcosm developing. Large bullants jovially feast on spilt sweets with disjointed abandon. Each insect owning a piece of confectionery with little regard for the surrounds or their counterparts. The piece is richly ironic and deserving of its title, as an echidna stalks towards its prey with much of the same recklessness. Encased within spiny armour and safe in the knowledge of where its next meal is coming.

A part of his larger debut exhibition Imbroglio, held at the Latrobe Regional Gallery, Morwell, Michael Gallop’s attention to detail is both intricate and entrancing. Each spine on the echidna is woven across its coat, the insect’s mandibles glower over its unexpected morsels, the paper bag lies crumpled on the ground – all helping to piece together this completely believable scene.

The piece appeals not only due to its extreme reality, but also with its understated sense of humour. The insects are almost resplendent with glee, acutely unaware of what is about to befall them. An ordinarily awkward creature, Gallop captures a moment of splendour, as the echidna majestically paws towards its feast. A esolutely-pointed nose at the ready.

The dimensionality of the piece instils the viewer with wonder. Just as the insects are unwitting, what might ultimately befall us? Who are surely identifying with the moment just as (un)knowingly?

It felt worthwhile and I got good feedback from my tutor.

The entry that I worked on the weekend came out alright too. I find out in a week whether I'm through to the next round. Fingers crossed. I would love the opportunity to stand up and present my idea to a jury of media professionals. That's just how I roll.

Now to crank out 500 words regarding catalogues for this week's topic...

Beginning

2010-04-10T10:37:00.006+08:00

The tradition continues. Started almost ten years ago, The Tomes of Marshy saw my first foray into the blogging world via the site Open Diary. While my enthusiasm tapered off for it in the end, there's always been a nagging sense that writiting was right. I love writing. I love writing about myself even more.

Inthemix took up most of my time after that. You can see an inverse correlation between the amount I updated my diary, to the amount of posts I made on ITM. This has continued (and will probably continue to continue) for some time yet. The posts I make under the psuedoynm 'Marshy' have been the stuff of legend. (For me). Over the years I've really enjoyed regaling the community with my tales and insights, often self-indulgent, often over-sharing.

It seems my posts tend to polarise people. Half the community laugh along at my flagrant abandon for conventional anonymity, the other half scorn me for being an attention-seeking whore. Both parties have it right. I like to keep my tongue firmly in cheek, and for better or worse, I like to think I offer something of value to the community. One prominent poster said to me a while back:

You're probably the most ballsy and honest person on ITM, and I love you for it.

While the ITM adventure has been a fantastic one, it did see my habitual posting impinge on my regular writing. Often what would have been a great entry for the diary, made its way into a forum post instead. This changes today for a number of reasons.

One, I'm out here to make a name for myself. I've got several projects on the go at the moment. I'm forging a career within the media industry, and want to continue doing this. While doing some research on my Cannes Young Lions entry, I came across this blog: How to get a job in advertising, design or media industries. There was one overriding point of the article that resonated with me completely. Blogs are the new CV. I agree completely. Whether I like it or not, I started down this path almost ten years ago and didn't realise it. In documenting my thoughts, ideas, complaints, and stories, I was putting myself out there for the world to see. I'm no oil-painting. I'm unapologetic and have a chequered past. I'm also late to the party. But if I'm going to succeed at media I'm going to do it on these terms, and when I progress it will be on my own terms. Chk-chk, open for business.

Secondly, I'm writing a fucking book. If I can't get my shit together and start promoting it what hope do I have for it being published? It's a story I want told, I feel it needs to be told, and if I'm not constantly writing and honing my craft, then it won't be told. Another prominent poster on ITM has this to tell me after reading what I've done thus far:

Writers write. Every day. I've done my quota on you today. Point being,
I've done today's wordcount. And the numbers for tomorrow too. (I tally weekly)
Nobody told me to, it's just what I do - I write. Every day.

I've racked up 300,000 words on Open Diary, 14,000 posts on ITM, and I'm still hungry for more. I need this, and I think this blog needs me.

Lastly, I want the attention. I crave the attention. I thrive on my ability to capture someone's attention. It's why I write. Open Diary was at its peak when I was receiving comments. My time on ITM peaks when I generate the most responses (see: I've generated $20,000 worth of ad revenue for ITM - where's my cut?). I want your eyeballs, and this blog intends to suck them out of your sockets.

It's not going to be a piece of art, it's not going to shake the world to its foundations. It will probably contain the occasional spelling and grammatical error. (As much as I hate them, and myself, for creating them). I'm undecided on how I'm going to incorporate this into your world. Ideally there will be some application that links these posts with Facebook/Twitter to add some extra exposure. I write for you as much as I write for me, so without much further ado... Welcome to The Scrawlings of Marshwah.