Adventure, baby!

Google

Wave Launch Party

Had some celebrating this week – Wave launched to the public world-wide. To celebrate we attended a swanky part at Ivy bar, and drank lots of cocktails. Great work, Alec! So proud of you 🙂


Google Office Opening

We finally held out official office opening today. The Governor-General came in to open the office and kick off the celebrations.

The GG talking to press and Googlers. I’m in the crowd on the far side in a pastel pink jumper.

GG signs the doodle.

The GG with her lovely shoes – the talk of the day.

Interesting photo of me meting the GG.

It was my job to present how Google search works to the GG. A lot of stress for a five-minute presentation!

Video of the office moving.

Alec in Mountain View

While I was sweating it out at the corporate games, Alec was working hard at Google Mecca. He took my beautiful camera with him to claim tax back and played around with it – including the photo below. It was just too delightful not to blog 🙂

NSW Corporate Games 2009

In a fit of what I can only call crazy, I signed up for the volleyball (!!) and netball teams for the NSW corporate games.

I haven’t played volleyball since .. well, I’ve never played volleyball, so I don’t know what possessed me there. Netball was a no-brainer – except we signed up and then Alec had to pull out due to a sudden work trip – nooooooooooooo!

It was an incredibly exhausting week – netball practice game Wednesday night, volleyball Thursday (we had our butts kicked in all three games), followed by a day of pain on Friday and then … six games of netball on Saturday, starting at 10:45 and ending at 6:30. I don’t think I’ve ever been so tired and drained.

Despite my lack of experience, I really enjoyed volleyball – until a rogue ball hit my arm and it swelled up to double the size, and I also really enjoyed the netball day, even though it was challenging, both physically and mentally.

With the netball comp, we won the three games in our pool but ended up placed fourth over all, so we had to play a quarter-finals game (which we smashed) followed immediately with a semi-finals game against the first seeded team. There was NO way we were going to win this game, and moral went way down. There wasn’t much of a come-back after that. We had to play one last game to decide third and fourth place, and we were just so over it after having our asses kicked in our fifth game for the day that having to straight away play a sixth game was just too much.

I’m super-impressed at how well we did – fourth out of 20 teams, with a team that was not bad, but definitely not our best. And to play six games in a row – I think it was an amazing effort and I was really proud of our achievement.

Erm, snazzy netball outfits.

Volleyball – going for a shot!

The volleyball team.

Goodbye Darling Park

After almost four years at the Darling Park complex and three in my current office, it’s time time to say goodbye! We are moving to a brand-spanking new office across the harbour in Pyrmont – I can see it from my window in fact. It’s been pretty interesting watching its progression every day – and I can’t quite believe it’s time to move.

My desk all packed and ready to leave.

Close-up of the view I will be leaving behind.

Google & eBay Day Out

My team took out the eBayers for a day on the harbour for our end of year do. The day was perfect – warm without being boiling hot, and not a cloud in the sky. I’ve lived in Sydney all my life and have been on harbour countless times, but I just love it.

With Cheryl and Olah.


Skyline from the back of Sydney.

Being such a tourist.



Captain Cheryl!

Afterwards we set off for dinner at the Gazebo Wine Gardens.
Wearing the awesome tee Beverly gave me – it says “Kiss me, I’m a vegetarian”.


Funky interior.

Cheese to start with.


A huge sausage roll.

Yum!

Salad  – an effort to be healthy. I don’t think I actually ate any of it.

Crab pasta with chilli.

My risotto. Very nice!

Pulling faces with Phuongy.

In the lift going to the rooftop bar in the Kings Cross Hotel, site of many adventures in my teens.

My camera died, so I have hardly any pics from the rest of the night, just this one of Sam in the Piano Bar in the Cross. Sadly I missed taking pics of him krumping to Elton John songs.

Gazebo Wine Gardens
2 Elizabeth Bay Road
Elizabeth Bay
(02) 9357 5333