A slave to the dollar? Have some class …

Totally showing my sophisticated media consumption – I was relaxing after my Saturday morning coffee and brief shopping spree at Auckland Street to catch The Barefoot Investor (I think it has only been on for a few weeks) on the telly. They were talking about success and money and how if you enjoy a job the money will come.

I have been told this before by bosses – some lived and were successful in living this principle and by others who were trying to max out “acting and experience” dollars from ambitious staff who when asked for what they were worth – were given this line. I soon realised a dollar in my pocket is often a dollar out of the directors or the budget, it’s not what you know it is who you know, and lemmings will often be promoted over smart people as they don’t rock the boat (so on and so forth) …

But life is not fair right? Why I whole-heartily agree with this theory in principle and for those whom have financial freedom – I have seen this principle abused (IMHO of course) on more than a few occasions.

My principle – pay the person what they are worth and give them incentives to enjoy their job and continue excelling. If they are worth a GD pay rise, give it to them tight-arse or if you can’t explain why and keep them happy and feeling valued! Funny how common sense can often make the difference … RANT out!

Do that many people really like cooking, I mean as a passion of their life, really?

So I was fortunate enough to be travelling abroad and missed the Australian MasterChef series (and yes, totally bragging about that!) … but I am in oz this time and I am bracing myself for all its glory.

Ok, so I work in PR and I get how the show is positioned, the “real” stories, the hooks, the science to the episode and soon to be media and promotional deals … I don’t mind a bit of a cooking adventure every now and then – but would I say cooking is my passion?, heck no. Never. No way. Purchasing wonderfully cooked food at restaurants with friends. Getting warmer …

Yet here I was, the anti-MC, watching the program (with protest take-out in my hand of course) … and it got me thinking, is cooking really that much of a passion for the average Australian? Is it a genuine passion? A passion born from circumstance? Something that is used to escape to some sort of a sophisticated world? Something anyone can do, that can be either and nor subjective? Something that showed you as some sort of a “super person” who chose to cook rather than indulge in pre-packaged food? What is the deal people? …

I was so ready to hate the show. Yet I became invested and *sigh* I knew I would … the sweet guy who helped out the girl, these people’s lives, Matt and his outfit choices … the annoying suck-up questions and carrying on from the contestants … I cared. But I failed to see the “passion” for cooking from some of the contestants – either that or they were not showing how I would expect a passionate person to act. Spoiler alert – or they are faking passion to get famous *people do that sort of thing?* ;)

So I am giving my heart to MC for a while and giving it a chance. But I still refuse to buy-in to the wannabe hype from the wannabe cooking and cupcake baking wannabe foodies who I know will be carrying on and hash-tagging on Twitter like crazy as if MC is the be all and all of the world … warning in advance: I will be giving majah side-eyes to you people!

Don’t judge me! I have been exposed to a large amount of wannabe foodies – whom were neither genuinely nice people or fantastic cooks IMHO (mean never tastes good!).

Sorry I have been away a while and what makes an innovator? Inspired to care (albeit about superficial things again)

So I was taking my usual tram trip to work on Friday and was pleased to see the very elegant lady whom I have spotted on a few occasions board my tram.

I must admit I am the first for a girl crush and this woman is elegance and "Anna Wintoreqsuque" in all her glory. At least sixty y.o IMHO – she is a lanky, almost skeletal creature, with a perfectly styled grey bob and always considered in her fashion choices – she was wearing a lovely Lady Ga Ga style black jacket with slight shoulders, long gorgeous black stump boots and a long skirt (but not those dowdy long ones – incase that is what you are imagining!), I could see a crisp while shirt poking slightly from her jacket, her serious and intimidating face bruiting a red lipstick – expertly applied.

I looked as she muffled (elegantly with her spindly fingers) around her LV bag for her MIKI pass. MIKI is new, for trams and something I have refused to give thought to until I absolutely had to – yet here I was a young woman, seeing this older creature of soughts truly showing that she was an innovator by nature from what I could see, and someone who took the time to care about themselves – in appearance and in their surrounds. She was informed and made sure her finger was always on the pulse of what was new (ok, in my head anyways … from what I could imagine in my twenty minute ride – so don’t judge me!).

Now, I consider myself a somewhat informed public – I have a degree, I read the papers (ok I am forced to as part of work: from the Herald Sun to the AFR), I keep informed with politics, I am against human traffic for the sex-industry, I try and keep myself up-to-date with social media comings and goings and I heart my innovator beauty bloggers). Yet, for the first time in almost a year since being overseas – this woman made me wonder. Why do we want to be informed of the latest? And what motivates us to care about our appearance (physical/societal terms)? Why do we care?

I have made an effort to not care about my appearance so much since my stint overseas and my work in the private sector. Although yes, I do wear a full face of makeup and spend a lot of money on my hair – while I have been told I frequently look like I put in “a lot of effort” twenty minutes of getting ready … well it does not even bleep on my past effort register (yes in my mind I create registers for things). Instead I have found myself choosing the love of beauty products and carefully planned outfits for the “safety” of being average (again, the average register in my head) and just a face in the crowd … and here was an old chick with her MIKI pass inspiring me – infact for the first time in almost six months I wore my heels home, on the tram – with smug satisfaction, and I learnt about the MIKI pass.

Note to self: don’t stop caring, the world has a lot to offer and we are fortunate enough to be in a position to be informed. I am going to be that annoying innovator, pulse consider yourself informed!

Ok so I am now with more blog …

Yes that's right I have decided to try and blog about things. Believe it or not I have actually spent a while thinking about doing this. But what kind of blog spells “me”?

I was thinking something exciting and glamorous detailing my overseas adventures or a real life real-time look into my fast paced cool and quirky life. Stop. Just realized that I am none of that and that any kind of blog documentation would show me as a I really am: a nice, mildly awkward, somewhat smart youngish thing (hence my blogger apprehension). You have been warned.

I am told I give good advice (when I think about it) and am a mildly interesting read. Oh also I do a lot of very embarrassing things (frequently), so I will try and keep this entertaining … well at the very least I will have detailed notes for therapy sessions later!

Hope you enjoy my rants ... I mean well-thought blog entries!